First Comes Love
by Kerosene Desire
Summary: Weiss has a decision to make & almost no time to make it; she can choose to live the life that is expected of her, or she can give it up for the uncertainty of a future all her own. Meanwhile, Ruby is slowly realizing that to grow up means to let go, but soon finds that such notions are easier said than done. No one said love was easy. WhiteRose. [Previously titled The Ultimatum]
1. Chapter 1

**First Comes Love: Chapter 1**

A complacent sigh eased its' way past thin lips as sapphire eyes fluttered shut. Nothing was more relaxing - or rejuvenating - than a lazy day spent lounging in the sun, the normal aches and pains of everyday Huntress life practically swept away in the late afternoon breeze. It was a rare moment of respite; a much needed break from their usually hectic schedules as fourth year students. Today, there would be no diagrams of Grimm anatomy to memorize; no oral boards to anxiously prepare for; no eight hour patrols spent meandering the Emerald Forest; not even a simple errand to town was required.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was simply sun, sky, and a well earned glass of chilled green tea; not a single worry was to be held, and Weiss would cherish it for all that it was worth.

Sipping daintily at her drink, she relished in its' refreshingly cool burst of earthy aroma, infused with the tangy zest of lemon and a hint of sweet honey. Setting it carefully atop the small picnic basket that sat beside her - an impromptu side table - Weiss leant back in the lawn chair and rested her head in her arms. '_This is too perfect,'_ she mused, content to simply sit back and enjoy the wonderful weather that Vale had to offer that day.

Of course, as all good things are wont to do, Weiss' perfect day came to a screeching halt in the form of one Ruby Rose; her now nineteen year old partner who had recently come into possession of what Weiss considered 'God's gift to those who wished to see me dead by heart attack'. Even from a distance, she could hear the distinctive hum and whirr of 'that thrice damned contraption' and her aura tingled pleasantly at the familiar presence making its' rapid approach.

'_I knew today was too good to be true...' _Resigning herself to her fate, the snowy haired woman reached for her glass and raised it to no one in particular; as if toasting a goodbye to her once perfect afternoon.

"Three…" she counted, softly. It was getting closer now - the noises - and louder as well.

"Two…" She lifted the drink to her lips and downed what remained of it, ice and all. It was feet away, perhaps just behind her if she bothered to look… which she _didn't_.

"One…" Jaw clenched, teeth gnashing, Weiss chewed furiously at the ice cubes; hoping against hope that the violent sound of crunching would drown out what only she knew was to come next.

"WOOOOHOOOOO!" cheered an all too familiar voice.

In a wild gust of wind, Ruby zipped by at ungodly speeds; arms outstretched, as if to embrace the powerful gale that carried her along. True to her nature, a childlike grin stretched itself across her lips as she flew by, hair billowing behind her like a sail. She was blissfully unaware of the azure eyes that followed her, their callous stare wishing to burn holes through her seemingly impenetrable skull.

"An airboard…" Weiss sighed, faintly. "Of _all_ the stupid and idiotic things that Yang could give her for her birthday… it just _had_ to be an airboard...I still can't believe the nerve..." Her head shook disapprovingly.

"'Oh no, Ruby! There's no way I'd ever let my baby sister get a motorbike!'" she cried, in a slightly deeper voice - mimicking the blonde haired brawler. "'But here… have an airboard instead!' Because that can't _possibly_ be any less dangerous, right?"

But even as her face remained cold and impassive, the heiress could not help but find amusement at the younger girl's speedy excursion through the school's garden; loud whoops of joy bursting from her lips as her pearly eyes shimmered with barely contained mirth. Even with the weight of their responsibilities, she had the uncanny ability to remain so energetic and carefree; a trait Weiss - as loathe as she was to admit - greatly admired.

"Dunce," she whispered, affectionately. In their nearly four years of partnership, Weiss had grown rather fond of the wayward girl; Ruby, who she had initially seen as a childish nuisance, had only been too eager to gain her approval. She had essentially hit the ground running and - after a rather shaky start - was quick to shape up, fulfilling her role as partner _and_ team leader in perfect stride.

"Hey, Weiss! Watch me!"

Caught unawares, Weiss jumped. Her eyes, which had glazed over in thoughtfulness, quickly sharpened and returned to focus… just in time to see Ruby launch herself off the cliffside where the airships usually docked. With little more than a gleeful wave of the hand, she quickly dropped out of view.

The Huntress blanched as she imagined what sort of report the paramedics would write upon discovering her lifeless corpse. '_Name: Weiss Schnee... Age: 21... Cause of death: heart attack induced by panic.'_

"RUUUUUBBBBYYYYYY!" she shrieked, half in terror and half in fury, as she tore out of her seat.

Oblivious to the fact that she was digging her partner an early grave, the effervescent teen dropped her shoulder and crouched low, so that she rode parallel to the rocky bluffs. With one hand clamped tightly to the board, she flung her arm out behind her; the wind ripping through her sprawled hand, the blast of moist air nipping at her fingertips. It was invigorating to say the least, as yet another enthusiastic cry tore its way from her lips.

Clicking the heel of her boot against the board, Ruby disengaged its' flight capabilities, allowing herself to simply plummet the last two hundred or so feet to the lake below. The soft hum of the engine faded away until she could hear nothing else but the wind rushing through her ears; feel it sweep through her hair, and swish the fabric of her clothes. Her eyes closed, savoring the precious few moments of clarity; the rapid beating of her heart; the exhilaration that pumped through her veins… in that one moment, she was weightless; as alive as could be and as free as a bird.

She could sense the lake below her, feel it inching closer and closer; calculating the proximity of her descent by the slow drop in temperature. Twisting her hips and shifting her weight, the teenaged Huntress adjusted her position so that she now stood upright. With a casual tap of her boot, she waited for the thrusters to kick in… and waited…

And waited…

Her eyes snapped open as she dropped her head, staring at the airboard with a growing sense of dread. She was quickly losing her nerve, downright stomping the motorized device, and cursing in ways that could only make a sister like Yang proud - desperate for the engine to start; the lake was getting too close for comfort now, and she did not wish to be remembered as the reckless girl that _voluntarily _threw herself off a five hundred foot precipice.

'_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap… did I forget to replace the battery's Dust crystal?'_ she panicked, eyes widening in disbelief. '_Nooo! It can't end this way!'_ With one last, frantic kick, she felt the familiar vibrations beneath her feet as the engine roared to life, slamming the brakes mere inches above the lake. Pumping her fist, she released a triumphant howl perhaps a few moments too soon, as the force of her rapid descent quickly caught up to her and pushed the water skywards...

There was a tall, dark shadow, "Aw, shi-..." and the waves crashed in around her.

* * *

Weiss stood along the shoreline, arms crossed firmly over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. Through narrowed eyes, she watched as a dark object bobbed up and down in the shallow tide and - growing bored of waiting - began to perform the familiar hand signs of her Semblance. A radiant glow appeared beneath the murky surface of the lake and, with the flick of a wrist, the mysterious body was catapulted into the air.

Ruby awoke with a start as her back slammed painfully against the sandy shore, quick to roll over onto her hands and knees as she coughed and sputtered. "Ack… h-hey, where's my-..."

Weiss flicked her wrist once more as yet another object was retrieved from the water.

_THUNK!_

The scythe-wielder gave a pitiful twitch and decided it would be best if she simply lay there, face planted firmly in the dirt, as she waited for the tidal wave of pain to subside. When she no longer felt the overwhelming urge to relieve her stomach of its' contents, she whimpered a weak 'thank you' and shoved the heavy board from its landing point atop her head.

"You are _such _an idiot..." Weiss grumbled, though they both knew by now that insults were little more than thinly veiled attempts at concealing her worry. Kneeling down, she looped an arm through Ruby's and hoisted the girl to her feet; much to her chagrin, Ruby now towered over her by a good four to five inches.

Despite the aching of her head, Ruby could clearly see the flash of annoyance that crossed Weiss' face and could not help but chuckle in response. "Are you still sore that I'm taller than you?" she teased, a lopsided grin gracing her features. It was one of her favorite activities now; retribution for Weiss constantly calling her a 'little child' in their earlier years. "I sang its' praises high and low, but did any of you listen? Noooo~… if I've said it once, then I'll say it again: _never_ underestimate the power of milk!"

"Its simply genetics," Weiss huffed, turning her head sharply; her pale cheeks stained a faint pink. She had met Ruby's and Yang's father once and it was easy to deduce where the two girls had gained their taller stature; he was giant of a man with a muscular build, standing at a good 6'4 or more. _Her_ father on the other hand…

"The Schnee family has a long history of producing members of average or… under… average stature," she explained.

"You're a midget and you know it," was Ruby's blunt remark.

"W-why you...! I should throw you back into the lake for that!" she growled, her carefully crafted composure instantly shattering upon the snub to her height… or rather, lack thereof.

"You wouldn't dare and you _know it_," Ruby replied, casually calling her bluff. They had shared the same room for years; trained together and fought together; ate the same meals day in and day out; studied for hours on end; even goofed off on occasion, Weiss permitting. She knew the girl like the back of her hand, and there was no way she would-...

_FWOOSH!_

As Ruby was sent flying - courtesy of the Glyph Express - she didn't know whether or not to feel proud that she had finally gotten Weiss to crack… or worried that perhaps she did not know the heiress quite as well as she originally thought…

* * *

"Remember, we're meeting up with everyone for dinner tonight," Weiss reminded, as she led the way to their dorm. "Pyrrha set the reservation for seven, so we'd better clean up now if we want to get there on time."

"Mhmmm…" was her partner's absentminded reply, as she tinkered with the gears of her board; attempting to discover the source of its' earlier malfunction. "Dinner… seven… gotcha'..."

They hurried up the stone paved walkway to the residential buildings, Ruby's feet squelching loudly as she scuffled along. On their way, they waved to the students and professors that they came across, though they knew none of them well enough to be delayed. In little time they had crossed the threshold into the building's main lobby, entering the stairwell to make the short climb to their third story suite.

Their dorm - which now only housed the first half of Team RWBY - was a small one-bedroom apartment, with a narrow galley-style kitchen and a square patch of carpet that had painfully been deemed their 'living room'. Upon entry, Ruby felt gentle hands guide her into the bathroom, which lay just off the door; Weiss refusing to let her drip water all over their clean floor.

"Strip," she ordered, wiping her hands on a towel. "I'll go and grab your shower things for you, but don't you _dare_ take a single step off this tile. I will not have you pooling water onto the carpets, which - mind you - I just vacuumed _this morning._ And put that thing down already!" she demanded, indicating to the board still in her hands.

Rolling her eyes, Ruby set the airboard outside the bathroom; careful not to step out as she propped it lengthwise against the outer wall. As Weiss left to get her things, the nineteen year old simply stared at herself in the mirror; still unaccustomed to the face and body that was reflected back at her. The years had been good to her, and where once stood a lanky, awkward teenage girl now stood an accomplished, more confident young woman.

She had learned much in her years at Beacon, and her appearance had changed over time in order to reflect that. Her hair, which once fell to shoulder length, had been trimmed short in a stylish pixie cut, and her combat skirt had been replaced by dark fitted pants; even her trademark cloak had been swapped out, exchanged for a long red coat with golden trim and the symbol of a rose emblazoned onto its' back. After getting snagged one too many times by rampaging Grimm, she had learnt the _hard _way that capes were counterproductive in their line of work…

Although she had remained true to her original colors, her appearance now was meant more for practicality in the field, and less about how good she looked. '_Still… this look is pretty badass...'_ she told herself, finally shrugging off the coat and allowing it to drop to the floor with a 'squish!' Tugging her shirt over her head - leaving her in just the thin strapped camisole beneath - Ruby paused as she caught sight of a long, jagged scar that fell just below her left collarbone; lying mere inches above her heart...

Snippets of sight and sound flashed through her mind, vivid memories dancing across her vision… suddenly, she spun around on her heel, looking over her shoulder to glance back at her reflection. Reaching behind herself, she ran her knuckles over the matching scar between her shoulder-blades; as if to check for the speared head of a feather, to ensure that there were no gaping wounds; no deep red oozing of blood...

"Is everything alright?" came Weiss' voice from the doorway.

Ruby winced, her cheeks flushing; embarrassed that she had been caught staring at herself in the mirror. "Y-yeah, everything is good," she was quick to reply, clearing her throat in order to hide her shame.

"Nearly four years, and you're still a terrible liar..." She stiffened as Weiss moved in behind her; a soft, warm hand smoothing itself over the healed wound; the small pads of her fingertips lightly tracing the slightly raised skin of the scar. "Does it hurt? Do you want me to get the ointment?"

"Weiss, I'm fi-..." she paused, nearly recoiling at the sharp - almost accusing - glare the older woman shot her; a whirlwind of emotion hidden behind those stormy blue eyes. Slowly, Ruby turned her head back around, staring straight at the wall; it was impossible for her to do anything when Weiss looked at her that way. "Its a little sore…" she finally admitted.

The warmth upon her back disappeared as Weiss pulled away - no doubt to retrieve the prescribed ointment - and her hand shot after her out of its' own accord, gripping firmly to the heiress' thin wrist before she could get too far. Before either of them knew it, she had wrapped the woman in a tight hug; easily engulfing Weiss' petite frame in her longer arms.

"It wasn't your fault," Ruby spoke, resting her chin atop the soft bed of Weiss' hair. She could feel her tense in her arms, resisting the contact, before finally caving in and relaxing. "I jumped in front of that Nevermore because you're my partner and my friend… my _best _friend…"

"I wasn't going to say-..."

"I _know _that look," she cut in, smiling ruefully. "I'm not the only one who's bad at lying, y'know."

Weiss gave an indignant snort before quieting, simply allowing herself to be held. A moment or two later, she raised her head, craning her neck in order to see eye-to-eye with Ruby. "Don't lie to me now," she began, "Is it hurting you? Are you in pain?"

Ruby shook her head. "It doesn't hurt," she answered truthfully, leaning back. "Like I said, its a little sore, but it comes and goes. That's just how the doctor said it would be from now on, remember?"

"Yes, of course..." Weiss breathed, straightening out her clothes as she was finally released. "Well… its nearly five now. Hurry up and take your shower. I'll still need to take mine after you're done." And without another word she departed, closing the door a little too roughly behind her as she left; leaving a puzzled Ruby to stare after her.

"Was it something I said…?" she wondered aloud.

* * *

"_Blake… Blake! H-How is she… is she…?"_

"_Whoa, easy there… calm down, it'll be okay…"_

"_No! It isn't okay! It will n-never be okay… you weren't there! You didn't SEE… she was cold… so cold…"_

"_Listen to me! I know you're scared, but Ruby is a strong girl and humans were built to survive… even at death's doorstep, they turn towards life…"_

…

"_Doctor, you have to tell me what's going on… no one had said anything for hours, please…"_

"_I'm sorry Ms. Schnee, but Ms. Rose is still in critical condition… and unfortunately, she isn't expected to survive the night."_

"_What? No… no, you have to save her…"_

…

"_How can you just sit there so calmly! How can you just act like nothing bad is going to happen… like your baby sister isn't in that room right now, inches from being put in the grave!"_

"_And how can you stand there, all high and mighty, acting like she's already GONE! I know my sister better than anyone else and I know that right now she's in there, fighting as hard as she can for her life! Ruby has never been one to give up… so I won't give up on her... and neither should you!"_

Weiss trembled as she hurried into the bedroom and locked the door behind her; biting a fist to stifle the sobs she knew only too well. It had been several months since the incident, and yet she continued to fall to pieces at every reminder. It had been a routine patrol gone terribly wrong; an ambush from above as she and Ruby stumbled upon a nest of Nevermore eggs, the parenting birds none too pleased by their unwelcome presence.

Alone, the Grimm was but a minor setback to an experienced Hunter; in a pair, they became much more difficult; and when protecting their hatchlings, they were downright lethal. The duo had barely hung on by the skin of their teeth, and it was only by some great miracle that they had been discovered by another patrol team and rushed back for medical attention.

That night in the ICU had been the longest night of her entire life… it had been the first time she'd ever been faced with the reality of a possible future without Ruby; the girl had been her constant companion, her best and truest friend, her hunting partner and so much more… and any time she thought about the near loss, it brought her crumbling to her knees...

"Weiss? Why is the door locked? Is… is everything okay? I can hear you crying..."

The heiress jolted in surprise, eyes searching out the nearest clock; it was now a quarter past five… had she been so out of it that she didn't even notice the lapse in time? Hastily wiping at her eyes, she erased all evidence of her tears and only hoped that she would move fast enough for Ruby not to notice. Grabbing what she needed, she unlatched the bedroom door and shoved past the taller girl, bolting straight for the bathroom without so much as a backwards glance.

"I was just watching TV and that… that damned commercial came on," she lied, once she was safely behind locked doors. "The one about animal cruelty… with that s-sad song playing in the background…"

"What are you ta-..."

"I need to shower!" she snapped, making a show of opening drawers and turning on the water; hoping that the noise would deter the redhead. "And you need to finish getting ready."

Beyond the door, Ruby sighed and shook her head; Weiss was acting strange, and part of her knew why... she just didn't know how to go about talking it out.

"But we don't even _have_ a TV…" she murmured, softly. Deciding that this conversation would be best left for another time, she simply let it go and walked away.

* * *

"May I have everyone's attention?"

The sharp ping of silverware against glass caught the table's focus as the combined members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR looked up from their plates, quieting their respective conversations. It was their monthly get together - as they rarely saw one another due to the heavy workload - and Jaune had earlier announced a surprise.

"First off, I'd like to say that I'm really glad we could all make it here today," he began, standing up from his spot at the head of the table. "Sometimes its still so hard to believe how far we've come, and yet here we are… just a single semester away from our official graduation. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better group of classmates, comrades, and most importantly… friends. I don't know where I'd be today without any of you..."

There was collective 'aww' from those gathered and Jaune cleared his throat, reaching out to interlock his fingers with Pyrrha's - whom he had married less than a year ago during the summer between their third and fourth years. "That being said," he continued, his lips twitching upwards in a barely restrained grin, "As my friends… _our_ friends… there is something we'd like to tell you..."

Their eyes locked before the redhead leapt to her feet, one hand held firmly over her womb… "We're pregnant!" they cried in unison; the others instantly breaking into applause and loud cheers.

"Y-you're having a baby?" Ruby stammered, nearly toppling off her chair at the other end of the table. Pyrrha lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she laughed, emerald eyes sparkling as she nodded her head. "That's so awesome!"

"Jaune, you sly dog!" Yang teased, waggling her brows suggestively. "I always knew you had it in you!" She then released a loud howl, earning several odd looks from other restauranteurs.

"Yang! Behave yourself," Blake warned, digging her elbow into the blonde's side before offering her own congratulatory remark. "That's great guys, really!"

"Yes, its wonderful news," Weiss added, a genuine smile upon her face. "You two will make excellent parents."

"Can Ren and I be the godparents?" Nora piped in, hands clasped hopefully across her chest.

"Nora, that's for them to decide on their own," Ren admonished, pushing her hands down. Her lower lip quivered in a puppy like pout, but he had known her almost his entire life and had built a strong immunity against such pitiful looks.

"So… have you thought of a name?" Ruby asked, eagerly; once everything had begun to settle back down.

Pyrrha shook her head. "Well, we only found out this week, so-..."

"I've been thinking of names since we first suspected her pregnancy," Jaune cut in, much to the surprise of his wife. "I… I uh, I actually sort of already have a name picked out…"

Her brow raised curiously, interest piqued. "Oh? Please, do tell…"

Swallowing nervously under her scrutinizing gaze, he tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his shirt. "Well, I kind of got the idea from Headmaster Ozpin… how he combines all our initials into a team name… and well, I combined mine and Pyrrha's names…" He trailed off anxiously.

"And… what exactly did you get…" she asked, voice tinged with nervousness; whatever this was, it would not bode well.

Straightening out, he puffed his chest and proudly stated, "Pyraune."

Dead silence drifted across the table, and Ruby could feel the smile on her face contort into a look of horror, imagining what sort of life the poor child would be forced to endure. Beside her, Weiss rolled her eyes, Yang slapped a hand across her face, Blake stared at the man as if he had lost his mind, and Ren wisely chose to remain quiet; Nora, however, nodded her head vigorously in approval.

"I like it!" she cried, giving her leader a thumbs up.

Jaune, whose shoulders had quickly slumped at their negative reactions, visibly perked at her words. "Really? Ya think-..."

"No, honey… no," Pyrrha stopped him, patting his hand sympathetically. "It was very sweet of you to think of that, but we'll discuss _our_ child's name in more detail later."

Jaune gulped nervously; his wife had _that_ look on her face and he knew better than to attempt a disagreement. "At least it was worth a shot…" he resigned.

There was another pause, an awkward hush hanging over the table like a heavy fog; and Yang, never one for silence, clapped her hands together before snapping them at the nearest waiter. "Hey, hey you! A round of drinks for everyone... on me!" she called, before quickly adding, "Uh… except for the two in red… one is pregnant with a baby and the other is still a baby herself."

Ruby's head snapped in her direction. "Yaaaang~!"

An hour later, the rambunctious group of young adults tumbled out onto the street; in good moods and high spirits. Jaune and Pyrrha ambled down the sidewalk, hands clasped lovingly between them, while Yang threw her arm around Blake's shoulder and whispered jokes into her ears; Ren - against his will - was giving Nora a piggyback ride, and Ruby and Weiss walked side by side in comfortable silence.

It was a peaceful evening, beautiful too; the streetlamps casting a soft white glow upon the pavement, and the heavens sprawled out above them in an endless, starlit sky. Happy sighs and giggles - and the occasional grunt from Ren - could be heard as they walked along; the two teams knowing that it was time to leave, but no one willing yet to part.

As they turned the corner of a major intersection, a soft vibration caught Weiss' attention; and fumbling for her purse, she pulled it open. Reaching for her scroll, she expanded its' screen, which flashed with the image of a white envelope - an indication that she had received a new mail. With a curious hum, she tapped the application… and froze.

_SENDER: FATHER_

_TIME RECEIVED: 21:06:17_

_MSG: You have been ignoring your mother's calls. It is time to come home, Weiss. There is much to discuss. The car will arrive tomorrow at 9:00AM sharp. Be prepared. - Your Father_

* * *

**A/N: To be entirely honest, I'm not sure where this story exactly came from, except that it was partially inspired by the Pixar movie _Brave_. Anyway, after another stint in the hospital (this is more common than you'd think) I had a bunch of random ideas buzzing around my head and I threw this together. I actualy wrote a lot more than I intended to for this first chapter, but once I started typing it was as if my fingers had a mind of their own. For those of you that follow my other story, Signal Fire - no, I have not given up on that. I will continue to regularly post and update, but this was something that wouldn't go away.  
**

**Obviously, characters will be a tad OOC; it _is_ their fourth year after all, and people change. I'll still try to keep them to their original nature, but again, no one is completely static. **

**WhiteRose pairing, no explanation needed - though they're only close friends right now, and too stubborn to admit/realize anything. We will fix that soon...**

**Reviews and comments appreciated! **


	2. Chapter 2

**First Comes Love: Chapter 2**

The sound of heavy grunting filled the otherwise quiet morning air; cutting through the silence like a knife. It was early - _really early_ - and the sun was still well hidden beneath a starlit horizon, as a soft wind ran through the tall, grassy plains that surrounded Beacon's main training grounds. Although many of the school's occupants were still slumbering peacefully within their beds, a lone figure jogged the length of the field and back, dropping to the ground to perform a various exercise before continuing on.

"... twenty-three… twenty-four… twenty-five…" she counted, going down for the final time.

Inhaling deeply, Ruby closed her eyes; allowing the cold air to circulate through her lungs - reinvigorating her senses - before exhaling in one, sharp breath. Tossing Crescent Rose to the grass, she took a brief moment to shake out her legs; power squats with a heavy, high-caliber sniper rifle as your weight bar was never any fun - nor did it help that she wore a 25-pound weighted vest - but she had come to see them as a 'necessary evil' in terms of her fitness. When the tension in her glutes and thighs had lessened, she took off running for the other side of the lawn.

Without the aid of her aura or her Semblance, it took the raven haired teen roughly ten seconds to make the hundred or so yard dash to its' other end. Lowering herself to the ground, she lay on her back with her arms beside her head. Churning out fifty bicycle-kicks, she leapt back to her feet and ran back to the other side; picking up her scythe for another set of lifts.

This was her usual morning routine; there was her 5AM wakeup call, a tall glass of orange juice to get her started, and then the next two hours were spent pushing her body to hell and back. She had really buckled down after their first year and, wanting to set a good example for her team, began an early morning workout regime before classes. It had stuck with her throughout the years - becoming like second nature - and in her eyes, a day was not a day unless it began with her sweating buckets before the sun had risen.

It had become especially important to her after her injury; and although the doctor had cleared her for full-duty only a month after the incident, she was adamant about getting back into tip-top condition. Even with her aura's natural tendency to speed recovery, along with the quality care of her physician, Ruby knew that she had yet to reach one hundred percent. The buildup of scar tissue had slightly limited the mobility in her left extremity, and while it in no way inhibited her abilities, she refused to let it become a weakness.

'_Must be the Weiss in me talking,'_ she mused, as the thought crossed her mind. The woman was no longer the stuck up, snobbish preppy girl she had once been; but her work ethic had remained a constant over the years, and the notion of 'clearing out weakness' must have rubbed off on Ruby somewhere along the way.

'_Still, there's nothing wrong with that. If a flaw can be fixed then it should,'_ she reasoned, continuing her drills.

An hour later, Ruby panted and heaved as she stood in front of what she had deemed her 'punching tree'; since she was too cheap to buy an actual bag and the rough bark would build up her strength and tolerance more quickly anyway. Crescent Rose would forever be her 'baby', but she had come to learn that relying on one weapon and one weapon alone was a serious fault, and could lead to potentially dangerous consequences should she ever be separated from it - _her_.

She was no Yang, but she had definitely learnt a thing or two about hand-to-hand from her sister and had honed her skills until she became a weapon of her own; with fists that could shatter rocks and a killer kick that had once scared off a curious Ursa cub from stealing her stash of cookies while on patrol. (Weiss had not been particularly happy about her sneaking sweets when they were working, but bygones were bygones and it had never happened again - or rather, she hadn't let herself get caught a second time…)

Her fists flashed in quick succession, her hardened knuckles leaving indentations in the already battered wood of the tree's trunk; a heavy layer of sweat glistening upon her forehead. The sun had finally found its way into the sky, and it's warmth bore down upon her neck and shoulders like a woolen blanket; the heat sapping more and more of her energy until she gave one, final jab before deciding to call it a day.

Rubbing the soreness from her hands, Ruby turned her back to the tree's trunk and slid to the ground in an unceremonious heap; taking a few moments to catch her breath and to cool off. Despite the aches and pains, and the protests of her muscles, she knew that her discomfort was only temporary; and she felt good… accomplished.

Several minutes later, she pulled herself back up onto her feet and lugged Crescent Rose over her shoulder; whistling a jaunty tune in rhythm with the birds' morning song. Trekking up the stone paved path towards her dorm, she smiled and waved at the maintenance crew; who she was, by now, very familiar with due to her early rising. They cheerfully waved back and she exchanged a few greetings with them before carrying on, entering the lobby and skipping up the stairs two steps at a time.

"Weiss, time to wake up," she called, upon entering the apartment. Kicking off her shoes and settling her scythe into a corner, Ruby made her way towards the bedroom door - which she had closed shut while getting ready earlier that morning - and knocked on it. When she got no reply, she pushed it open and called again, "Weiss~!"

A groggy voice mumbled inaudible curses and the teen grinned. Weiss was not - nor would she ever be - a morning person, and the job had fallen on to her to get the older woman out of bed most days. After three and a half years, she had - of course - perfected the art of 'Weiss Waking' and took great pleasure in dragging her friend from the clutches of sleep; knowing exactly what made the girl tick.

"I'm making coffee~" she sang with a grin.

It was like magic; three little words. It was the equivalent to 'open sesame' or 'abra kadabra' when it came to Weiss, as was testament by the quirking of her head and the shoving away of pillows.

"Use the vanilla creme blend," she demanded sleepily, rolling around in the sheets as her addled mind attempted to process which way was up, and which way was down. As she rolled off the bed and onto the floor, she knew she had gotten it wrong…

The younger woman bit her tongue and giggled before deciding to tease her partner - just a _little_. "Aw, but I was thinking of brewing the hazel-..."

"Vanilla creme!" Weiss snapped, disentangling herself from the blankets.

Ruby stifled her laughter; coffee depraved Weiss was just too fun to mess with. "Aye, aye! Captain!" she replied, with a mock salute. Quickly grabbing a fresh outfit, along with her towel and toiletries, she took a brief detour to the bathroom to drop them off, before proceeding to the kitchen to make Weiss her promised drink.

Grabbing a fresh filter and filling it with grounds, she checked that the pot was clean before setting up the machine. Filling it with water and setting it to 'brew', she scribbled a quick sticky note and made sure that it was properly working before heading back towards the bathroom. Stripping off the raggedy old hoodie she wore to workout, the teen began her countdown; Weiss would be up in three… two…

Ruby chuckled as a slurred, "Where's the coffee?" was heard from the other side of wall, and with an amused shake of the head, she turned on the shower. '_Rose: 1, Schnee: 0.'_

As the loud pitter-patter of water cascading from the showerhead filled the apartment, Weiss trudged her way into the kitchen and blearily glanced about. The scent of coffee as it brewed filled her nostrils, and it was just enough to perk her mind out of its' cloudy haze. Grabbing at a bag of bread, she popped two slices into the toaster and went about preparing the rest of her morning meal.

Catching sight of a square of yellow, she rolled her eyes and plucked the paper from its' spot atop the coffee machine; Ruby had a funny habit of leaving her 'good morning' notes, since she was usually showering by the time she was fully out of bed. Weiss couldn't quite remember when it started, but it was amusing to say the least, and she appreciated the small gesture. Today, the note consisted of the lyrics to Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes theme song, and the drawing of a smiling sun with its' tongue sticking out at her.

"Goofball," she sighed, fondly; even at the age of nineteen, the girl was still a child at heart and it seemed she forever would be. But then again, it was _Ruby_; her loveable idiot of a partner, and she wouldn't have had her any other way.

"Ooh, is that for me?" a voice teased, as Ruby exited the shower five minutes later. Weiss, who was now sipping her coffee at the counter, looked up just in time to see the girl lean over her shoulder and steal the last bite of her toast - right out of her hand! "Extra butter, _nice_!" she grinned, through a mouthful of the bread.

"Ruby!" she screeched, though her anger was only for appearance; it was just part of their normal, morning routine. Ruby would come back from her workout and wake Weiss up, start the coffee and then take her shower; Weiss would make breakfast and sip her drink while she waited, and then Ruby would swoop in and steal the last bite as she came out of the bathroom.

"It was just a teeny, tiny bite!" the younger woman defended, before snatching the coffee mug from her hands and draining it of the last, few gulps. "Ugh, bleh! You never put any sugar!"

"That's because I don't require such impurities tainting the integrity of my drink," Weiss retorted, taking it back. "Now scootch! Its my turn to get ready!"

"Mhm… oh yeah, you said you had an appointment or something today, right?" asked Ruby, squeezing her way around the smaller woman as she reached into the cabinets and pulled out a box of cereal. Flipping it open, she grabbed a small handful of the mixture and popped it into her mouth.

"Yes, official Schnee business," she answered, though there was no more arrogance behind that statement as it had once been when they were younger. "And use a bowl! What are you, a barbarian?"

Shoving another handful into her mouth, Ruby chomped as she grinned gleefully; a mischievous look in her eyes. "Maybe." And with that, she scooped the heiress over her shoulder and carried her off towards the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she deposited a shrieking Weiss - clothes and all - beneath its' spray and shut the glass door.

"Don't worry, I'll get your things!" she assured, sniggering as she shut the bathroom door. It was so good to be tall. '_Rose:2, Schnee: 0.'_

"Hmm… maybe I'll make some eggs…" she wondered aloud, knowing that Weiss could still hear her.

And hear her she did. "My towel, Rose! Get me my towel!" There was the sound of the glass door opening and the squelching of clothes as Weiss dumped her now soaked sleepwear onto the tile; Ruby laughed.

Mornings were fun.

* * *

Mornings sucked.

That's what Pyrrha decided as she braced herself against the rim of the toilet bowl and paid homage to the porcelain god; last night's chicken pasta as her ritualistic offering. Beside her, Jaune knelt; holding her long, flowing hair back as he rattled off sweet nothings into her ear.

"You're doing great, sweetheart," he said, for what must have been the tenth time that morning. "You're so amazing, so beautiful. Our baby will be so lucky to have a wonderful mother like you."

She loved him, really she _did_; but in the deepest, darkest corner of her mind, a part of her couldn't help but blame _him_ for her current suffering. Him and his endless loyalty that had first gained her attention, and that stupid silly grin that still made her heart swoon; the deep huskiness of his voice when they…

"Blaaaghhh…" Oh god, was that _corn_!? She didn't even _remember _having corn in her pasta… Vaguely, she wondered where she had set Milo the day before, and if 'pregnancy' was a valid excuse to plead insanity in the court of law.

"And they called _me_ Vomit Boy," Jaune mumbled, earning a sharp look and an even sharper elbow from his wife. "Oomph! I-I mean… I love you, I love you so much, my fiery flower. My beautiful angel!"

He was laying it on a bit thick, but at least he meant well. Reaching up, she flushed the toilet and allowed the blonde to help her to her feet. Stumbling towards the sink, she cranked the handle and cupped several handfuls of water into her mouth; swishing it about before spitting it back into the basin.

"Toothbrush," she begged, and Jaune was quick to hand it to her; with a generous squeeze of toothpaste already set upon it. Smiling her thanks, she vigorously scrubbed her teeth and gums, paying special attention to get the awful taste off her tongue. A cupful of mouthwash awaited her when she had finished, and she was grateful that she had such an attentive husband; Jaune was too good to her.

"Why don't you take the day off? Just sit back and relax a little," he suggested, rubbing gentle circles around her back. "We aren't scheduled for any missions for the next few days, and our last oral board is a month away."

"As much as I'd love to, I still need to complete my thesis paper for Professor Folly's class," she reminded, reaching for a comb. "I was hoping to visit the library to further my research."

"Okay, well then how about this. We'll head on over to the library and spend the rest of the morning there. Then we can go out and just spend the afternoon around town," he said, attempting to compromise. Jaune knew his wife was strong - after all, _she_ had been the one to train _him_ - and that she was technically only a few weeks along, but his protective instinct did not like the idea of her straining herself any more than she needed to.

The redhead 'hmm-ed' softly, contemplating the idea; the paper was due in three weeks, and she already had a solid idea of what she wanted to do. Plus, an afternoon downtown sounded _really _nice after starting her morning in such a horrific fashion. "Its a wonderful idea," she consented, leaning over to place an appreciate kiss against his cheek. Her nose crinkled as her lips brushed against the scraggly hair of his beard; a small 'project' of his, which he had been growing out for nearly two weeks now.

"You still don't like it," he pouted, noticing the slightly offended look upon her face. "But doesn't it make me look manly?"

Pyrrha didn't fully understand her husband's constant quest to become more 'masculine' but she had always been his greatest supporter, no matter the issue. _This_, however, was quickly becoming an exception…

"Its just… doesn't it, I don't know… itch?" she asked, attempting to sound more curious and less… 'bothered' by the hideous, hairy monster that had claimed her partner's face as its' living space.

The white knight rubbed his chin thoughtfully, scratching at the beard in his contemplative state. A moment later, he shrugged and shook his head, "Nope, not really!"

To which he got an instant reply of, "Shave it."

"Wha-...?" Jaune's face fell; apparently it had been a pop quiz, and he had given the _wrong _answer. "Dangit. Yes, dear…"

* * *

"Hey, do you want some ice cream?"

Pyrrha glanced up as a clean-shaven Jaune squeezed her hand and nodded his head in the direction of a small vendor's cart; it was now early afternoon, and after a successful morning searching through Beacon's massive archives, the couple had eaten a light lunch before heading out to walk the streets. Presently, they found themselves taking a casual stroll through Vale's main park, and her husband seemed eager for the cool treat; especially since today had been a rather warm one.

"Ice cream sounds good," she replied, smiling. Promising to bring back a cone of her favorite flavor, Jaune told her to relax on a bench before turning tail and chasing after the vendor, who was now wheeling his cart in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Ice cream man! Hey, wait up!" He kept walking, much to the blonde's chagrin. "Heeey~! Are you deaf! Oh my gosh… slow down already!"

Smiling at her husband's antics, the redhead stood up from the bench he had left her at; tired of sitting after having spent all morning hunched over a pile of books. Instead, she decided to approach the small pond that sat at the park's center, watching as a small geyser of water erupted from a spout in the middle.

Kneeling down, she scooped up a small handful of pebbles; looking them over, she selected the flattest one in the bunch and flicked her wrist, watching in silent amusement as it went skipping across the water's surface. Reaching for a second one, she was startled as she suddenly noticed a peculiar image wavering in the water's reflection; the colors white and blue immediately catching her eye.

'_White and blue? Could it be-...?'_

Standing quickly, Pyrrha gave a surprised gasp; for just on the other side of the pond stood a slightly dazed looking Weiss. Her head was bowed low, face hidden by the snowy fringe atop her head; she appeared deep in thought, unaware of the world around her, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that something was troubling her.

For a moment, the redhead contemplated simply leaving her be; sometimes, the best thing a person needed was to be left alone. But something told her that was not one of those times, that Weiss was lost and she needed someone's help in guiding her way. Pyrrha, of course, was always eager to fill that sort of role - especially for a friend like Weiss. Her long legs easily carried her around the pond's perimeter, and it took but a few short moments for her to appear at the heiress' side.

"Weiss?" she spoke, quietly. "What are you doing here? And why are you all alone?" It was very rare for either half of team RW to be seen without the other; the two were almost constantly at one another's side.

Weiss didn't look up, still seemingly lost in thought.

Pyrrha frowned; Weiss was a trained Huntress, taught to constantly be on alert. Whatever it is that bothered her, it must have been big; for there were few things that could break the intense concentration and focus of Weiss Schnee. Before she could fully investigate the woman's odd behavior, she was interrupted by the return of Jaune, two cones of cherry swirl clamped firmly in his grip.

"There you are!" he cried, grinning cheerfully as he approached. "You weren't at the bench, so-... oh, hey Weiss! Are you here by yourself? Where's Ruby?"

That seemed to finally snap the heiress back to attention, the glazed look in her eyes fading away as her vision sharpened and focused. "Pyrrha? Jaune?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. "What are you two doing here?"

Jaune blinked; it was a public park, after all. "Uh… you alright there, Snow Angel?" It had been a long, long time since anyone had called Weiss that name, and Pyrrha knew her husband was simply attempting to get a reaction out of the woman. When she made no comment at the nickname, the couple instantly knew that something was terribly wrong. Weiss _hated_ that nickname.

"Maybe you should give Ruby a call," she whispered quietly, leaning closer to speak into his ear.

Weiss scowled, having overheard the comment. "And why would he need to do that?" She didn't particularly enjoy the idea of being babysat by her partner, as Pyrrha seemed to be implying. Jaune, however, had apparently thought of something completely different.

"Well, because… you know…" he began, before trailing off weakly; he tugged nervously at his collar. Was it getting hot out here or what?

The fencer deadpanned at his stuttering; she was in no mood for guessing games. "Obviously, I _don't…_" she growled, eyes narrowing. "Care to enlighten me?"

"Uh… w-well, _y'know_. Because you two are…" And again, words failed; instead, he lifted his hands and meshed them together, as if hoping the poor attempt at sign language would convey what he could not.

It took both women several seconds to realize what he was implying, Pyrrha blushing in embarrassment for her husband as Weiss jerked back in surprise; as if burnt by a flame. "Is _THAT_ what you think we are!?" she all but screamed, hands clenched firmly by her sides.

"But-... I… you two are _so close…_" he protested, rather lamely, as he did his best impression of a turtle; shrinking back into the hood of his jacket.

"That does not make her my _girlfriend_!" Weiss shrieked, her face redder than a ripe tomato. "Just because Yang and Blake hooked up, that doesn't necessarily mean Ruby and I would do the same! Why is that whenever two people are close, they automatically have to be _together_?"

"Please don't be mad, I didn't mean anything by it!" he quickly replied, cowering beneath her fiery gaze.

But Weiss was furious, and she began to fumble at her belt for Myrtenaster. "I swear to god, I'm going to castrate you for this!"

At this, Pyrrha - who had wisely chosen to remain silent - decided it would be a good time to intervene; after all, somewhere down the road, she wanted more than just the one child. "Calm down, Weiss," she pleaded, laying a gentle hand atop the other girl's. "Jaune wasn't thinking straight and he's sorry for making such thoughtless comments… _aren't you_, Jaune?"

The swordsman squeaked as she roughly pinched his side, quickly descending into a panicked rant. "Ms. Schnee, please accept my full and whole-hearted apology for this simple misunderstanding. I can only blame it on the continuous decline of moral standards in today's day and age, or at least… t-that's what my Mom always says… but that is _still _no excuse for my appalling actions here and now. I accept full responsibility for my words and deserve whatever punishment you deem appropriate…"

He paused, shooting a nervous glance at his wife, before continuing, "... but please, _please_ don't cut off my-..."

"Enough!" Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand while the other rubbed circles against her temple; she could already feel the beginning stages of what looked to be a powerful migraine setting in. "Go… _please_. Just go. I need to think."

Jaune was ready to bolt, grateful for the free ticket out, but Pyrrha would have none of it. "Weiss, something is obviously troubling you. Let us help you." When the Schnee shot her husband a scathing look, the redhead corrected herself, "Let _me_ help you."

The blonde breathed a sigh of relief and immediately took that as his cue to leave. "Right, well I'll just let you ladies chat! I'll be on the other side of the park if you need me! Oh, and uh… please accept this half melted ice cream cone as a sign of my continuous apology…" Shoving one of the forgotten cones into either woman's hand, he raced off for safety.

"... you sure know how to pick 'em," Weiss muttered, dumping the cone into a nearby trashbin. Sweets were not really her thing; especially not ones that would leave her hands a sticky mess, as the now pinkish glob promised to do.

"He's a good man," Pyrrha replied softly, taking a taste of the cold treat.

Weiss sighed, nodding her head once. "I know that." And he was. Out of their ragtag group of friends, Jaune had probably changed the most; though that was most likely due to how much he had to catch up with in terms of the others. Still, he was more lean now and less lanky, and Pyrrha had drilled him into warrior perfection, now a master of his sword and shield; he was also known to be a brilliant strategist and well respected amongst their peers as a Hunter.

"But he's still an idiot," she added, though there was no malice behind her words. Anyone who knew Weiss well enough knew that she used insults as terms for endearment or worry; and as much as she despised admitting it, Jaune had grown on her over the years - once he had stopped flirting with her, that is.

Pyrrha chuckled. "He can be a bit… silly, at times," she admitted. "But its one of the things I love about him."

Weiss stopped walking, standing as stiff as a board as she stared down. "Is it… is it hard?" she asked, voice barely a whisper.

"Hard?" the other repeated.

"Being married," Weiss replied, softly. "Being… a wife."

Pyrrha's brow knitted together, confused and curious all at once. This was not a topic she had been expecting. "I wouldn't necessarily call it hard," she finally answered, "But just like everything else, it isn't without its' difficulties… as a Huntress, I have my responsibilities to the people and to my family. I have to juggle classwork and patrols just as everyone else… but I also have to be my husband's support when times get rough, as he is mine."

"Sometimes I still can't believe that you two are married," Weiss admitted. The two had danced around their feelings for the majority of their first year, and it was with a less than subtle nudge from Nora of all people - who threatened to break Jaune's legs if he kept being so stubborn - that the two ended up together. It was after their third year, when they had officially gained their Hunting licenses, that the two had completely broadsided their group of friends - eloping sometime over the summer before the start of fourth year.

"Married and pregnant," Pyrrha corrected, with a smile. They were fortunate with the way the program at Beacon had been set up; most secondary combat schools were a three year program, which was the required training when issued a Hunter's license. Beacon's fourth year, however, was their way kickstarting a student's career; providing them with real world experience while still giving them the reassurance of school safety. If one could survive the required 500 hours of patrol, four oral boards, and whatever extra classes they had elected to take, one would earn the right to call themselves a Beacon Academy graduate; essentially _the_ gold star on one's resume in the Hunting world.

"And how's that working out for you?" Weiss asked, a small grin forming on her lips.

"It was unexpected, but not unwelcome," she replied, unconsciously placing a hand over her womb. "I always knew that, someday, I would end up married with kids. As much as I love being a Huntress, the idea of growing and raising a family is all I've ever truly wanted."

Weiss glanced upwards at the taller female, studying her for several moments before saying, "So you expected to get married."

"Well… yes, of course. Perhaps not as soon as it had actually happened, but sometimes that's just how life plays out… and I have no regrets. I love Jaune and even though some may disapprove of our choices, I'm glad - grateful even - that I married him."

"I see. And… and it wasn't forced on you…?" Weiss pressed, startling the other woman.

"_Forced_? By whom?" she asked, eyes wide in wonder. "Weiss… why are you asking these sorts of questions all of a sudden?"

"No reason," Weiss replied, much too quickly for it to have been so. "I'm only curious. I was always of the notion that getting married made one… crazy, so to speak. No offense," she added.

"Crazy?" Pyrrha laughed and shook her head. "Marriage doesn't make you crazy. Its the 'falling in love' part that really messes you up."

At this, the white haired Huntress sighed, approaching a nearby park bench and sitting down. She was quiet for several, long moments.

The spear wielder frowned, concerned by Weiss' behavior; something was very off with the girl. Coming to sit beside her, she placed an assuring hand atop her shoulder as she said, "Weiss, we're friends. We have been for many years now. Whatever it is that's bothering you, know that you can tell me. If it is not something you wish the others to know, I will keep your secrets… but at least allow me to help you."

"Its not something you'd understand," Weiss stated, sighing once more. "You… you can't help me."

Pyrrha frowned; she sounded so tired, so defeated; nothing like the strong-headed Weiss she had come to know over the years. "But how do _I_ know that?" she argued back, "I don't know what you're talking about, so how can I not understand? How can I know that I won't be of any help if you don't at least tell me…"

"I really appreciate the concern, honestly, _I do_," she answered, truthfully. "But you and I grew up in very different worlds. It… its not something you would have ever had to worry about."

"Weiss… just _tell me_ already," the other insisted, now fully worried with where this conversation was going. If it had anything to do with her family, then it could be any number of crazy things…

Lowering her gaze, Weiss bit her lip; hands clenching the fabric of her white skirt. She could feel the familiar prickling of angry tears forming behind her eyes and was quick to wipe them away, refusing to allow her emotions to control her. But she was just _so frustrated!_

With a heavy sigh, she finally relented, too drained to fight it any further. "They want me to get married," she whispered.

Pyrrha had quickly placed the clues together halfway through their conversation, and had somewhat been expecting the answer; that, however, didn't make it any less of a shock to hear. Her bright green eyes grew wide with disbelief, before narrowing sharply. "They want you to _what?"_ she hissed.

"They want me to get married," Weiss repeated, folding over as she buried her face between her hands. "To ensure that the family line continues, and for someone to take control of the business. As the only child, the only _daughter_… it is my duty…"

The taller Huntress could feel her gut twist angrily, disgusted by the mere idea of an arranged marriage; the absolute _nerve_ of her family! Dust 'royalty' be damned! "Your duty, first and foremost, is to yourself!" she insisted, grabbing Weiss firmly by the shoulder. "You're their daughter, not their slave… and furthermore, you're an adult. You're a Huntress as well, and only months away from graduation. You have the right to decide your own destiny."

"They're going to take it away!" Weiss cried, shooting upwards from her seat. "They're going to take away my inheritance, my birthright! Everything I'd worked towards before coming to Beacon, everything I'd given up… friendships, my entire childhood, even meaningless fun… it was all for nothing!"

"They… they can't do that," Pyrrha replied, though she was not so sure of it. The Schnee family was one of the most powerful and most prominent families in all of Vale and they usually found ways to get what they wanted.

"They _can_ and they _will,_" she groaned, flopping uselessly back onto the bench. "I… I just don't know what to do. I mean, I always knew that one day I would have to take over the family business. But I thought that would be years down the line, after I got tired of traveling and being a Huntress… I just… I never thought that it would come to this…"

"And you have absolutely no say in the matter?"

Weiss shook her head. "I was given two choices… I can either come home, get married, and take over the company… or risk disownment, and have the business passed onto someone in the extended family…"

The redhead winced; talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. "How long do you have to decide?"

"Until graduation," Weiss answered, shaking her head. "As much as they wish for me to return home now, our family has a reputation to uphold. A Schnee would _never_ drop out of school, no matter the course of study." She nearly spat the words out, as if they left a bitter taste upon her tongue.

"What do you plan to do?" Pyrrha asked, tentatively; she didn't want to push the other woman, but graduation was only three months away, a mere blink in time when considering the weight of her decision.

"I don't know," she said, staring off into the distance. "I really don't know…"

* * *

**A/N: My sincerest apologies for the long wait on chapter 2. I had intended to write this much earlier in the week, but I live in Southern CA where we've had a massive outbreak of wildfires and, as a first-responder, I hope you can at least imagine how busy I've been these past few days.  
**

**This chapter was a lot of filler, I suppose, but I just wanted to continue to establish the sort of relationship the characters have now (considering the large time gap from first year) and then build up from there. I don't want to just throw the WhiteRose at you, as much fun as that'd be... and I apologize again if its a bit OOC. **

**A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed/fav'd/followed. I appreciate all the support, and I hope that I can keep you all coming back for more. **

**If I have the time to write out a 5k+ word chapter, and you have the time to read through it, then I think you also have the time to leave a small review.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**First Comes Love: Chapter 3**

Myrtenaster's blade gleamed beneath the moon's radiance, its ivory edge shimmering with an almost ethereal white glow. With two sharp jabs and deadly precision, it sunk deeply into the inky black fur of a Beowolf's neck; the beast slumping to the floor in a deadened heap. Weiss wasted no time in congratulating herself on this small victory, instead spinning gracefully on the heel of her boot as she deflected a massive paw aimed for her jugular.

Sparks flew as hardened metal clashed against sharpened claw, the snowy haired Huntress revolving her weapon's chamber to reveal the thin canister of cerulean colored Dust. With the aid of her glyphs, she launched herself high into the air, dodging yet another wild swipe as she slashed downwards; a pillar of ice shooting from its tip and freezing the Grimm where it stood. Another slash and the frozen sculpture fractured, the Beowolf shattering along with it.

Swift and agile, she continued to fight; no energy wasted in her movements, as she flawlessly transitioned from one attack into the next. She was as delicate as a ballerina with the fierceness of a warrior's heart, performing a beautiful yet deadly dance across the forest floor that left nothing but devastation in its wake.

A little ways away, Ruby held Crescent Rose in its sniper form; squeezing her finger along the trigger - one hit, one kill. She fired off round after round, each bullet tearing through bone plated skull in a warm spray of red, until the swarm of Grimm grew too close for her to continue. Aiming towards the ground, she leapt upwards and pumped lead into the soft carpet of grass, the gun's recoil catapulting her skywards.

With practiced ease, she unfurled the sniper-scythe into its fully extended glory, the curved blade glinting dangerously by the light of the moon. Fingering the trigger, she propelled herself back towards solid ground, landing smoothly between two Beowolves. They snarled with fury, teeth bared and dangerous, but she was unafraid.

Dropping low, she ducked beneath a claw and stabbed backwards, the speared tip at the end of Crescent Rose's pole skewering the beast behind her. Flexing her finger, she triggered her gun, which set her free and sent her barreling into the furry chest of her second adversary. Allowing the momentum to carry her, she allowed her feet to touch the ground for no more than a second, jumping with just enough force to redirect her body.

Twisting her hips, she flew just slightly ahead of the Grimm and swung her scythe, hooking the blade around its neck. Digging her heels into the dirt, she stood firm and yanked hard, the strength of her pull decapitating the wolf in one fell swoop. It didn't end there, for as soon as it was dead, she swirled away in a flurry of rose petals; fading into a crimson and silver blur that swiftly laid waste to the remainder of its pack.

Five minutes later, the duo stood before the pile of bodies, clothes splattered in blood that was not their own. Weiss grimaced as she wiped away as much as she could, grateful that her attire had been specifically coated to resist water and stains. Ruby, on the other hand, was relatively unfazed by the whole ordeal; having grown rather numb to it over the years. It was, after all, a huge part of being a Huntress.

"Well, that was easy," she grinned, folding her scythe and attaching it to the clip at her belt.

"Indeed," Weiss agreed, wiping Myrtenaster against the grass before sheathing it at her side. "Let's only hope that this will be all for tonight."

"I wouldn't mind another fight," the younger shrugged, approaching a tree that had been downed during the fray. Pulling a long, machete-like blade from the inside of her boot, she began hacking and sawing several branches into smaller pieces. "But then again, I wouldn't mind a quiet night either," she decided. "It'll be like an outdoors sleepover!"

"I suppose you'll want to camp at our usual spot," Weiss noted, as Ruby bundled the firewood into her arms.

"It's a safe place to stay and easily defendable," the teen replied, grabbing a few more logs before she was finally satisfied with the haul. "Besides, where else would we go? Now, c'mon! Lead the way, partner!"

Rolling her eyes in mock annoyance, the two women made the short trek to a nearby river, where an abandoned cave had become their unofficial spot when on night patrol. It was small, perhaps only five feet across and eight to ten feet deep, but it provided enough shelter and protection for their short stay in the forest. Ruby quickly dumped the wood and sat on the dirt, digging a small pit for their fire while Weiss double-checked the perimeter to ensure their camp would be safe.

When she returned, it was to the sight of Ruby on her hands and knees, blowing at a fledgling flame in order to stoke its embers. The girl was smitten with all things 'Hunter' and had taken every wilderness survival class Beacon had to offer; becoming ridiculously savvy when it came to working and living in the great outdoors. In no time at all, they had a roaring fire; its bright orange flames a shield to keep the darkness at bay.

"Y'know, I really miss the old days," Ruby sighed, as the two bunked down for the night. "Back when it was all four of us together…"

Weiss nodded; she missed it too. Although they remained Team RWBY by name, they had only stayed that way until third year, when groups were broken back up into their initial two-man teams. On occasion, they would come back together for larger assignments, but patrol duty and smaller missions were handed out two by two; for the sake of individual experience, they were told.

"It was really rough in the beginning," she went on, laying back against the makeshift bed of leaves that she had prepared. "All we did was argue and fight… always at one another's throat. Some days I didn't even know what to do, except maybe run around and fret, like a chicken with its head chopped off! I mean, _gods… _I didn't know _anything_ back then! I must have been a really terrible leader…"

"You still are," Weiss remarked - teasingly, of course - earning a faceful of foliage as Ruby threw part of her beddings at her in false exasperation.

"Don't be so mean, Weiss," she whined, though she grinned good-naturedly. "But I'm serious," the teen continued, "I really miss it. Graduation is only a few months away, and it was only now that I realized just how fast time flew by. Pretty soon, we'll be like… _real_ Hunters and Huntresses - without Beacon, without school... and… then we'll just be free to do whatever."

'_Free to do whatever...'_ The words stung far more than she had expected it to. With a heavy sigh, Weiss closed her eyes, drowning herself in a sea of memories; the past three and a half years had been a much needed respite in terms of her family's plans for her. She had, for the first time in her life, been relatively independent of them; her only responsibilities to her academics and to her team. There had been no threats of marriage, no demands for children… and she had been a complete idiot, throwing around her name without second thought to what being born a Schnee actually entailed.

'_But I knew...'_ she lamented, '_I knew all along what they wanted, and I ignored it. But I can't ignore it… not anymore, not when school is so close to finishing. I no longer have the excuse of my studies to hide behind...'_

She had been eighteen when her mother had first suggested marriage. It was immediately after the end of first year, only hours upon her return home; Weiss was preparing for bed when the older woman slipped into her room for a 'chat'. The words had just barely left her lips when Weiss rejected it; she was too young, her education unfinished… and secretly, she refused to give up the only friends she had ever known.

The pleas of her mother only seemed to increase as the years went on, sending weekly messages for her daughter to see reason, or cornering the girl on her holiday visits. The calls, the messages… they kept coming, and eventually, Weiss simply began to ignore them. She was tired of the constant push to meet suitors, or to find herself a nice, respectable boyfriend - even girlfriend! Her parents didn't seem to care, not as long as the resulting child - through 'natural' or medical means - would be fit enough to continue their family line.

She would have rejected her mother this last time as well, if her father had not seen it necessary to finally intervene. He had sat her down, and after a thorough lecture on the importance of keeping the Schnee legacy alive, issued his ultimatum: marriage or disownment. Her name, her title, her inheritance… _everything_; it would be gone, taken away and given away to a lesser family member; someone who did not fully appreciate their name or hold it in as high regard as she did. Weiss had always dreamt of one day becoming a Huntress, and while running the family business had not been her main concern, it was still a huge part of who she was.

She knew what she had to do...

Turning, Weiss faced Ruby, who was still babbling on and on about their earlier years, seemingly oblivious to her partner's inner turmoil. A heavy weight settled upon her shoulders, tugging uncomfortably at her chest - her _heart_; Ruby was her best friend; she had been since the very beginning. The Schnee name meant nothing to the younger girl, and she had incessantly chipped away at Weiss' icy exterior simply because she liked what she saw inside.

And Weiss loved her all the more for it.

'_In the friendly way, of course,'_ she was quick to tell herself; but as she watched Ruby's eyes light up, the flames of their campfire dancing in the reflection of her pearly orbs, Weiss couldn't help but wonder if there was never anything more between them… '_No,'_ she shook her head, '_That's absolutely preposterous. A ridiculous idea, merely brought on by stress.'_ She had never shown any interest in romance to begin with, and the only thing Ruby loved more than being a Huntress were weapons and cookies; things simply didn't add up for them.

Even then, the younger woman meant a great deal to her, and in her eyes, Ruby symbolized the freedom she had spent her entire life searching for; freedom from the burden of familial responsibility, freedom from perfect manners and professionalism, freedom to just _be_. She didn't have to pretend to be anything but herself around her partner, and for that, she would always be grateful.

'_But they'll take it away… everything I had worked towards before coming to Beacon. I can't let them do that! I have to find a way… I have no choice. I'll have to go home...' _Her throat tightened at the revelation, heart clenching painfully within her chest; but she didn't want to leave Ruby. Not now, not yet…

'_No, things will work out,'_ she told herself, gripping the cloth of her skirt between shaking hands. '_I'll make it work! And Ruby… Ruby will understand… she always does.'_

Steeling herself for what she was about to say, Weiss cleared her throat. "Hey, Ruby?" she began, tentatively. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you…"

The raven haired woman perked up, giving her partner a lopsided grin in return. "Really? Because there's actually something I've wanted to tell you too!"

Her brow raised curiously. "Oh? Well, you go ahead first." '_It can't possibly be any worse than what I have to say...'_

"You sure?" She nodded, and Ruby continued, "Okay. Its just… I wanted to say thanks."

"Thanks? For what?" Now she was beyond curious; what could she have _possibly _done to garner such a remark from the other girl? She thought back on the past few days, but nothing in particular stuck out.

"Yeah, thanks-... er, _thank you_," Ruby corrected, hoping the more formal vernacular would better convey what she was trying to say. "For everything you've done."

"Did… did you hit your head during the fight?" Weiss asked, scooting closer to place a delicate hand atop Ruby's forehead; it was warm, but not unnaturally so; most likely from sitting too close to the fire was all.

The Huntress laughed and shook her head, taking Weiss' hand and squeezing it in her own. "I'm fine," she replied, pulling it away from her head but not letting go; Weiss decided it felt nice, so she left it there. "Its just… everyone else is so busy nowadays. School ends in a few months, and everyone is already going their separate ways. Yang and Blake have their own place off campus, Jaune and Pyrrha are married and having a kid, Ren and Nora are…"

She paused, thinking it over before shrugging, "... they're doing _whatever _Ren and Nora do… and then there's you. I mean, I know we're partners and you can't completely escape me because of it… but you didn't have to stay. Third year, we were allowed to move away from the dorms and you could have left… but you didn't. You've been with me since the start, pushing me to do better and helping me when things were too hard…"

Their eyes locked, pale silver meeting icy blue, and Weiss felt the unmistakable leaping her of heart… she was quick to look away, bewildered by the sudden panic that flooded her veins…

"... you've always stuck by me, and I know that I don't say it enough, but I really appreciate it. I really don't know what I'd have done without you. So yeah, thank you." And then she smiled; one that stretched from ear to ear and left her eyes crinkled in an almost upside down 'u'; a smile that was just so utterly _Ruby..._

"You really are my best friend, Weiss."

_There_; there it was. The proverbial knife to the heart. Weiss could feel her emotions bleed out, overwhelming her senses, making it difficult to think… to _breathe._ Why? Why of _all times_ did Ruby have to go and say that? Shaking her head, she pulled away; she couldn't do this, not now.

"Don't… don't say that," she sighed, her stomach sinking. "Don't _thank_ me."

The smile on Ruby's face fell as concern took its place, immediately afraid that she had done something wrong; perhaps had said too much. "Why not?"

Weiss released a shaky breath, guilt taunting her; knowing that, only moments ago, she had made the decision to _leave_ for the sake of saving her own skin. She didn't deserve thanks for that, not when she was so selfish of a person.

"Look, Ruby… about that meeting I had with my parents the other day," she said, swallowing the nervous lump that blocked her throat, "I wanted to wait a bit before I told you or anyone else this…" Pyrrha didn't count; Pyrrha only knew her choices, but not what she had decided; only Ruby deserved to know her answer first.

"I think you should know-..." Before she could get much further, a loud, haunting howl sounded somewhere in the distance; most likely stragglers of the pack they had decimated earlier.

"Hold that thought," Ruby interjected, leaping to her feet as she drew Crescent Rose from her belt. "Why don't I take first watch tonight? I know you don't really feel up for fighting again, so go ahead and sleep. I'll take care of this and then we can talk when I get back, or in the morning… whenever you want."

Weiss was elated and terrified all at once; relieved that she could put this conversation off for one more night, but nervous to let Ruby wander out all by herself. The girl was more than capable of handling a few Beowolves on her own, but the thought of what _else_ could be lurking around this late… she still had nightmares about that Nevermore...

"I'll be back soon. Get some rest!" Ruby was gone before she could say a word of protest, rushing away; eager to test her skills once more in battle.

She released an exhausted sigh, whispering a forlorn, "Be safe…" as she watched her go. '_I'll just tell her another time...'_

* * *

The next morning, Weiss awoke to the sound of splashing; loud, wild, churning water; intermixed with the lively grunts of an all too familiar voice. For several seconds, she simply lay in the comfortable - if not somewhat itchy - bed of leaves; her mind slowly playing catch up. Something seemed… _off_.

"Fish on!" she heard Ruby cry, and her eyes snapped open. Sitting up, she was surprised to find herself draped in the other girl's coat; it was large on her smaller body, and warm, with an overbearing - but not unpleasant - scent of the outdoors, laced with a hint of her signature roses.

'_This is Ruby's coat… but why do I have it? And why is it morning? My watch should have started far earlier than this...'_ she wondered, standing up and brushing her clothes; again, she was thankful for its resistance to stains, as it would have been a nightmare to clean. Wrapping the coat around her slender frame, Weiss wandered closer to the river, following the sounds of a dramatic struggle.

"Oh, you're awake! Good morning!" Ruby shouted cheerfully, waving a hand at her from a little ways downstream. In the other hand, she braced Crescent Rose, which she had modified late third year, after deciding to add 'fishing rod' to its list of capabilities. Something large must have been on the other end of the line, because she huffed loudly and gripped the pole with both hands; walking backwards slowly as she attempted to reel it in. "Did you sleep well?"

"You didn't wake me up," Weiss accused, ignoring the question as she made her way towards the younger woman.

"I know," was her only reply, and Ruby gave the line a bit of slack; she'd let the fish tire itself out a bit more.

"You idiot, what happened to first watch and second watch?" she frowned, legs apart and hands planted firmly upon her hips; in what Ruby liked to call Weiss' 'battle stance' for arguments and lectures.

"You seemed pretty exhausted," Ruby answered, with a careless shrug. "I wanted to let you get some rest."

The older woman's gaze softened, but she remained stern as she replied, "You need to rest as well. You fought the Beowolves twice and-..."

"Three times," her partner corrected, grinning as she felt the fish's resistance begin to dwindle. '_Ah, this is gonna be a big one! I can feel it!'_ she cheered. "Another pack came by to claim their territory, so I took care of that as well. And then there were a few Ursi too, but that was about it. Pretty uneventful night, if you ask me."

Weiss slapped a hand over her face and groaned. '_This girl will be the death of me!'_ "You fought a pack of Beowolves and Ursi… _without _me!?" she raged, stomping forward and prodding the taller woman forcefully against the sternum. "You must be some new kind of stupid if you actually think that's okay, Ruby Rose!"

Ruby blinked in surprise, head tilted to the side in curiosity as she stared down at the furious heiress; Weiss only used her full name when she was _really_ angry or emotional. "What did I do?" she asked, struck dumb by her partner's outrage.

"What did you… what did you _do_?" Weiss threw her hands up in exasperation and gave the younger girl an annoyed shove, forcing her to stumble awkwardly in order to stay on her feet. "What if something _happened_ to you, and I wasn't there?"

"But nothing _did_ happen," she argued, maneuvering away; startled by Weiss' aggression. "It really isn't that big of a deal…"

"That's because you never think!"

"Wha-...? Weiss… where is all this coming from?" Ruby asked, her voice low; she was becoming far too worked up about something so insignificant - or at least, that's how she saw it. What she failed to realize, however, was that Weiss saw it as something completely different…

"You died!" she roared, smacking a fist against Ruby's shoulder, "The last time I let you out of my sight on a hunt, you died! Your heart _literally_ stopped, and I almost couldn't bring you back!"

Ruby gulped anxiously; so _that _was what this was all about. The incident with the Nevermore nest was a sore topic between the two - even though it had been many months - and it put a heavy strain on their friendship whenever it was mentioned. They had made the near-fatal error of deciding to split up during the fight, a rookie mistake brought on by overconfidence; resulting in the injury that very nearly took her life.

'_She still blames herself for what happened… when will she learn to let it go?'_

Cutting the fishing line, Ruby threw Crescent Rose to the dirt and engulfed Weiss in a tight embrace; even as the Huntress beat her chest in protest, she held on. "Weiss, how many times do we have to go over this…" she sighed, tightening the hug as she continued to struggle, "I - _not you_ - made that order to split up… I thought divide and conquer would be a better approach instead of fighting two on two. If I hadn't been so far away from you, then perhaps you wouldn't have gotten pinned beneath that fallen tree, and-…"

She paused, grimacing slightly as an elbow dug into her gut, but continued on.

"... it was my fault, not yours, that you were put in that position. _I_ almost got _you _killed, not the other way around… and me jumping in front of that attack… that was me making up for my own mistake. I shouldn't have abandoned you in the first place, and I was lucky to get there in time."

Weiss slumped in her arms, finally giving up on fighting, and leant forward; resting her forehead against the other girl. "You're still an idiot," she said, her words muffled by the fabric of Ruby's shirt.

"Yeah, I know… you remind me every day," Ruby replied, with a rueful grin. "But you still love me."

The fencer stiffened at her words; she knew that Ruby meant friendly love - perhaps even sisterly love - but she couldn't help but let her mind wander; back to her own thoughts from the night before. It had been a brief consideration, a fleeting whimsy; the possibility of them being _more_… she shook her head. They were the best of friends, as close as could be; there just wasn't any room in the relationship to be anything beyond that...

"Of course I do," she murmured, softly; doing the best she could to ignore the dull ache in her chest. "We're best friends, remember?" '_And that's all we'll ever be…'_

* * *

**A/N: Looks like Weiss might be starting to consider Ruby in a different light *makes kissy-kissy faces*... but we're still far off from any open declarations of love and whatnot. Sorry guys, I like slower build-ups. Also, apologies for such a short chapter, but I felt these two scenes were better left separated from the next few ones I have planned. _  
_**

**A little disappointed with the lack of reviews last chapter, but I got a ton of fav's/follows, so a big thank you for that! I'd really like to read what you all think so far, so please leave a comment and let me know how I'm doing!**

** Until next time~!**


	4. Chapter 4

**First Comes Love: Chapter 4**

A rustle of leaves, a scramble of dirt.

Ruby froze, Crescent Rose held firmly in her grip as she strained her ears to listen; searching for the noise that was unseen and just barely heard. Her knuckles bleached firmly around the cool metal of her beloved scythe, her fingers thrumming along its' handle in eager anticipation. Twin orbs of shimmering silver darted across the wooded landscape, seeking out any clues to her pursuer's whereabouts.

'_C'mon, give me something… anything!'_

Alas, it was to no avail, the small clearing of the Emerald Forest in which she had stopped remaining just as soundless as she. Releasing a small huff of annoyance, the Huntress continued her silent trek through the woods, careful to mask her presence the best she could. Cautiously, she treaded along; her boots padding along the soft green grass, each step carefully placed so as to minimize the sound.

'_Where are they?'_ she mused, silently. Taking a cursory glance of her surroundings, Ruby slipped between the trunks of two tall trees, melding into the shadows as she awaited the next move. Chewing anxiously at her thin lip, the dark haired teen attempted to once more find the location of her opponent; pushing the limits of her sensory capabilities.

A moment later, her eyes widened, flashing with a mixture of surprise and excitement. A small smile graced her lips as a gentle wind blew past, a flurry of rose petals carrying her away into nothing; just as the speared head of a massive halberd sailed through the tree behind her, smashing the wood into little more than matchsticks.

'_Not fast enough!'_ she jeered silently, leaping down from the treetops, her scythe poised to strike. With lethal precision, she swung the blade wide before lurching forward, pressing an offensive attack against her mysterious opponent. A clang echoed loudly throughout the otherwise desolate forest as their weapons crashed against one another, the two Hunters instantly caught up in their deadly tango for two.

'_Left, right, jump, block, swing...'_ Ruby silently narrated her actions, allowing mostly instinct to guide her movements as she deftly avoided what would have otherwise been a rather nasty slash to the stomach. Careful to mind her surroundings - lest a stray Grimm interrupt their battle - the leader of Team RWBY took a short moment to look over her adversary.

While still young, the woman with whom her weapon clashed was older, perhaps mid to late twenties. Lithe and tall - though not as tall as Ruby herself - her features were sharp and well defined, with an angular jaw and high cheekbones. Dark, ebony tresses were pulled tightly back into a neat bun, and she was dressed in leather armor; her more vital organs protected by a light, plated chestpiece colored green and gold.

Suddenly, there was a small tingle at the base of Ruby's skull; her aura's natural way of telling her that unexpected danger was near. She could hear a low rumbling coming from somewhere behind her and it was steadily growing louder; she swiped once more at the Huntress before disengaging and bouncing back, curious at the unnatural shifting of soil.

'_What the hell is going on… is that an earthquake or what!?'_ One glance at the other Huntress, and Ruby knew that this was not of natural causes. Her stomach churned uncomfortably, and as she dropped her head to stare more intently at the ground, she realized too late that she had made a mistake.

"Aw, cra-..."

In an immense shower of dirt and debris, the earth beneath her opened up in a massive sinkhole. It was only through honed reflexes that she managed to avoid being swallowed whole; and with a forceful thrust, she arched her spine and flipped backwards. Unloading a few rounds of ammunition, Ruby propelled herself further away, to what she hoped would be a safer distance.

As she stared back at where she had once stood, the younger woman could feel all color drain from her face; gawking in a mixture of shock and awe as she noticed the spikes of dirt that had awaited her fall. '_That looks painful,'_ she noted, shifting on the balls of her feet; prepared to move should another sinkhole appear.

Even as dangerous as it was, Ruby couldn't help but admire the other woman's skill. "So, that's your Semblance?" she asked, attempting to make small talk as her mind swiftly ran through several different scenarios. "I've never known anyone to hold an affinity for the earth. Ice, fire, shadows… yeah, but earth? That's impressive."

It seemed the Ji-wielder preferred to stick more towards business in battle, offering only a polite, "Thank you," in return.

Ruby frowned, disappointed in the lack of conversation, but nonetheless respectful of her desire to stay focused. "Before we continue, can I atleast get the name of my opponent?" she inquired.

"Cotta. Terra Cotta." Short, sweet, and to the point. A little quiet, but Ruby decided she liked this woman.

"I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose," she introduced, tightening the grip on her weapon. "Its an honor to fight you."

For the first time since their recent meeting, Terra showed an emotion other than silent conviction; the corner of her lips cracking into the tiniest of smiles. "The honor is mine," she replied.

And then the earth trembled, an enormous pillar of rock jutting upwards from the ground; but Ruby was already gone, her own Semblance whisking her away into the safety of the trees. Ducking beneath the foliage, she folded Crescent Rose into its smaller rifle form, taking shelter behind the leafy foliage of the forest's canopy.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she gathered her wits and peered around the edge of the trunk; taking aim, she squeezed the trigger. Her heart sunk as a boulder tore itself from the ground and intercepted her bullet, before launching itself in her direction. Yelping in surprise, the younger Huntress leapt to another tree, balancing herself on one of its branches as she watched the slab of rock wreck through her previous position.

Deciding that it was in her best interest to keep moving, Ruby leveled her sights on the woman below and switched her rifle to automatic, clenching her finger against the trigger. A spray of bullets tore from its barrel, but she didn't wait to see if her hits would make their mark; instead allowing her rose petals to carry her away to another tree, where she repeated the process.

And so it went, their game of cat-and-mouse; Ruby leaping through the trees to bombard Terra with a hailstorm of gunfire from above while she defended, anticipated, and attacked from below. Occasionally, the younger Huntress would descend from the branches with her scythe extended, and the two would exchange blows; their longer ranged weapons forcing them to deflect and parry from a distance, but both determined to get closer in order to take advantage of the fight.

Ruby was lucky - and thankful - that Terra was only able to fully control her Semblance when she wasn't fighting, as it seemed she needed intense concentration to use her more devastating tactics. But even then, her skill with the halberd was something to commemorate; heavy strikes and narrow misses swinging by, keeping Ruby fully on her toes.

It was exhilarating to say the least, and Ruby couldn't help but enjoy herself. _This_ was what she lived for; the thrill of battle and life lived on the edge; it never failed to make her feel so alive.

But she was only human, and they had been fighting for what felt like an eternity now; though she knew it was only half an hour at most. Sweat fell freely from her brow, her bangs damp with perspiration as they clung to her forehead; nostrils flared to bring in as much oxygen as possible, even as her lungs burned painfully for more. She was tiring quickly, but so was Terra…

Flying upwards into the treetops, Ruby took a moment to catch her breath; her pool of aura was large and her stamina was nothing to laugh at either, but one could only get so far in a fully engaged, head-on fight before they needed a break. Reaching into a small pouch at her belt, she withdrew a small package of energy gummies and popped a few into her mouth; while she had not used her Semblance to its full advantage, she knew that her metabolism ate through her reserves rather quickly, and this would help keep her sugar levels even.

It would take several moments for her body to digest and even longer for it to kick in, but she was relieved to know that her strength would not run dry mid-fight. Glancing down, she watched as Terra knelt, her own exhaustion evident as she used the pole of her weapon to help keep herself upright. Mulling over the idea, Ruby shrugged as if to say, 'oh, what the hell?' and called out, "Hey, catch!"

The older Huntress looked up just in time, hand instinctively outstretching to catch the tiny baggy. Inspecting its contents, she stared upwards into the trees and raised a curious brow at Ruby. "Energy gummies?" she asked, unable to mask the disbelief in her voice.

"Mhm, strawberry flavored," Ruby replied, smacking her lips in delight; they were her favorite flavor. "Take some! Er, unless you're allergic. In which case, I've got an epi-pen with me too!"

Terra shook her head. "I am not allergic," she answered, "But I _am _curious. We're opponents. Why would you share your supplies with me? It would have been wiser for you to have kept it for yourself and used it towards your advantage."

"Yeah, but we're only _pretend_ opponents," Ruby reasoned, swinging herself around a branch in a show of acrobatics before launching herself into the air, where she fell and landed directly in front of the other woman. Terra, by habit, took a step back to allow her more room. "Besides, I've never fought anyone with a Semblance like yours. I want to keep going."

The professional facade that Terra had kept up during their fight fell, and she shook her head with an amused chuckle. "You want to _keep going_? I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but if this is the attitude of the youth these days, then I think I may be getting too old for this job!"

"Aww, don't say that! You're not too old… but perhaps you _have_ gotten a bit rusty," she grinned, silver eyes glinting with mischief. Lifting her hand, she waved it at the halberd user, wiggling her fingers playfully.

It took Terra several seconds to realize that there was something thin - almost entirely unnoticeable - tied about her middle finger, but by then, it was already too late. Her hand clenched, forming a strong fist as Ruby yanked hard with an enthusiastic, "Banzai!"

A burst of gunfire - mixed with what appeared to be the sound of _reeling_ - rang loudly throughout her ears as she watched in bewilderment as Crescent Rose descended from the branches, launched towards the ground through the rifle's recoil as it fired off round after round. Time seemed to slow down as her eyes traced the thin wire from Ruby's hand to the weapon, realizing that it had been tied to its' trigger all along. On the other end of the scythe's pole was what looked to be a fishing spool, the line wrapped around a tree branch before dropping down the side of its trunk; her gaze followed lower...

'_What the...?'_

"Look down," said Ruby, and Terra instinctively did.

Her eyes grew wide in understanding; her mind recalling the image of Ruby spinning around the tree's branch before landing in front of her… forcing her to step back… easing her into conversation through an act of kindness… it had been a setup all along!

"You tricked-...!"

The pre-planted noose tightened around her feet, locking her legs together as she fell, and she grunted as her back knocked painfully into the dirt. Her weapon dropped from her hands in surprise, and she had not been quick enough to grab it before she was hauled into the air; hanging upside down like a pinata at some kid's twelfth birthday party.

"Bait," Ruby began with a smile, leaning down to pick up the fallen bag of gummies, "... line," she continued, nodding at the tree branch, "... and hook."

Terra groaned as she locked eyes with the younger Huntress; half of her was rather impressed with Ruby's ingenuity, but the other half was resentful that she had allowed it to happen. It also didn't help that the girl was using her capture as an allusion to fishing...

'_Well, two can play this game!' _she decided, allowing a childish bout of jealousy to get the better of her.

Growling quietly in frustration, Terra called upon her Semblance and threw her arms apart; the ground beneath Ruby opened up, and before she knew what was happening, she had been swallowed into the earth.

"How's that for a hole in one?" she asked, folding her arms defiantly across her chest.

To her dismay, Ruby gave an unexpected snort and replied, "That was far from your first attempt… two over par!"

* * *

'_How long has it been since I last visited this place?'_

Ruby couldn't help but smile, overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia as she walked along the empty halls of her previous combat school. Although she had attended Signal for no more than two years, it held a special corner of her heart as the first place she would learn to become a Huntress; the first in many stepping stones to her current placement in the world and whatever lay beyond tomorrow's horizon.

Coming upon a familiar door, she did not bother to knock; instead, she twisted the knob and pushed it open. It was little more than a standard classroom and it, like the halls outside, was bereft of student activity; but even in the endless silence, Ruby was taken by the feeling one gets when returning home after a long trip away.

She had spent many an afternoon huddled in the corner desk by the window, and as she walked up to take a seat, it was as if she was thirteen years old all over again; receiving her first of many 'after hours tutoring sessions' from the one man she owed her entire tenure at Beacon to.

"You did well today, Huntress Rose," a voice spoke from behind.

Ruby beamed, eyes alight with adoration as she glanced upwards, gaze settling upon the towering form of one of her most favorite persons. "Thanks, Uncle Qrow!" He was a mammoth of a man, but he had gentle eyes; broad chested with dark black hair and a beard peppered with spots of gray, he was dressed in a combination of onyx, silver, and deep purple.

"I was there when Terra delivered her report on you, and watched the feedback of your fight," he mentioned, his voice a deep rumbling that had often been a source of great comfort for Ruby in her younger years. "I stand corrected. The fishing pole was a wise addition to Crescent Rose."

"Its a good thing the line held," Ruby replied, grinning in remembrance. "But then again, the guy at the tackle shop said it was strong enough to handle up to two hundred pounds of fish… though I guess I didn't exactly have catching _people_ in mind when I bought it…"

"No, I should hope not!" Qrow guffawed, his laughter like rolling thunder. "Otherwise, you and I may need to sit down and rethink your career choices!" He gave a few more dwindling chuckles before settling down some, smiling as he looked down upon the youngest of his nieces; pride swelling in his chest. She was no longer that scraggly child he had taken under his wing so many years ago; now she was confident, accomplished, powerful.

'_So much like your mother,'_ he noted wistfully. '_Sister, if only you could see your daughters now… you would be so proud.'_

Ruby, catching his stare, blinked in surprise. "Why are you looking at me all funny? Is there something on my face?"

The Signal professor shook his head. "Your face is clear and unblemished. I am simply admiring the young woman you have become. It seems every time I see you, you've grown more and more!"

"Uncle Qrow!" she cried, a fake pout forming at her lips. "Are you saying I'm getting fat?"

"Oh, dear! No!" he laughed, placing a heavy hand atop her shoulder. "I am not so young as I once was; forgive my poor use of words and allow this old man his mistakes. I simply meant that you are maturing faster than I can keep up. Why, it seems as if only yesterday I was first teaching you the basics of aura."

Ruby hummed softly in reply, a happy smile upon her face; her Uncle Qrow was a merry old man who never failed to put her mind at ease, and he was almost more of a father to her than her own dad - not that she loved him any less. But her Uncle Qrow had been there in ways her dad hadn't, and she would never forget the kindness he had shown to her over the years.

"And now you're teaching me the basics of networking," she added wryly, after a moment of silence.

Qrow nodded firmly. "Beacon is a fine start for young Hunters and Huntresses, but the best jobs are given to those with the right connections. Mr. Cato was impressed - and amused - by Terra's assessment of you, and while he did not outright say it, he did imply to me that he would be adding you to his list of clients."

"Really?" she asked, visibly perking at his words. Cato was an old-timer like her Uncle Qrow; a retired Huntsman who now spent his time and resources finding various jobs for the younger generation around the kingdom and beyond. He was rather picky with who he sent jobs to, wishing to ensure they would be dealt with in an efficient and timely manner, so he often tested prospective clients before officially adding them to his list of job recipients. There was also a small fee for his services - a percentage of the prescribed reward - but the jobs always paid high enough that it didn't necessarily matter.

"He said something about giving you smaller hunts around Vale to further test your skill, but he liked what he saw in your duel," he answered, grinning at the excited look upon his niece's face. "He _also _might have mentioned recommending you for a post in Atlas after graduation… he knows several people there who are in need of fresh Hunters and Huntresses."

"A post in _Atlas_?" she cried, whooping loudly. She had never left Vale before, so to be offered the opportunity to travel abroad immediately after graduation was an exciting feeling for her. "Oh man! That would be so cool! Everyone will be so jeal-..." She stopped, her train of thought coming to a screeching halt…

'_Does that mean I'll have to leave everyone else behind?'_ she asked herself, the excitement she once felt slowly fading into bittersweet realization. It was only the other day that she had sat with Weiss at their campfire and claimed her disappointment with how everyone was going their separate ways; yet here she was now, perhaps planning to go the furthest of them all.

Qrow, noting the immediate change in demeanor, wrapped his arm around her in a half-hug. "Is something the matter?" he asked, curious.

Ruby hesitated before quietly asking, "If I took these jobs, and Mr. Cato ended up liking me enough to send me overseas, how long would I have to stay there?"

A spark of understanding flashed across Qrow's eyes. "You do not wish to leave your sister and your friends behind," he deduced. He had attempted to include his other niece and her girlfriend in his Hunting network as well, but they already had plans, and the Schnee girl was simply untouchable. "My dear Ruby, you have come so far in such little time, but you are young and still have much growing up to do. Allow me to recite a quote, one I am rather fond of and which I believe best fits your situation. It goes as such, 'Can miles truly separate you from friends? If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?' Now, what does this say to you?"

Despite her melancholy attitude, Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at her uncle's unusual teaching style; he never truly answered a question, but instead posed a question of his own; and upon finding the answer to his, you would find the answer to your own. But she knew what he meant; no matter how far they went, team RWBY would still have each other in heart.

"That doesn't mean I won't miss them," she instead replied, "But then again, who's to say I've already got the job?" She laughed and shook her head. "I suppose there's no point in worrying over something that isn't for certain yet…"

"Very insightful of you, Ruby," Qrow nodded, patting her head as he once did when she was still a young child. He, like his niece, had an air about him that put people at ease; he had the ability to make one feel small - the good kind of small - and safe, and protected.

"I had a wise teacher," she responded, earning another one of her uncle's boisterous laughs.

"It is the student that makes the teacher," he smiled, fondly. Glancing upwards at the clock above the whiteboard, Qrow clapped his hands together as he realized how late it was getting. "Enough chit chat, my dear. We will talk more about this later. Allow me to finish logging my students' grades and then we shall be off for supper! I believe your Aunt Raven has prepared her triple chocolate cake for dessert!"

Ruby leapt to her feet, a hopeful gleam in her pale silver eyes. "So she's really made some?"

Qrow grinned as he leant down and whispered playfully into her ear, "She better have… or you may soon find yourself with a new auntie!"

* * *

"So, this is what we're going to do… when Ruby and Uncle Qrow walk up the driveway, Auntie Raven will come out and greet them. When they're distracted, Weiss will freeze their feet to the floor and Blake will swoop in and tie them up in her ribbons. Then, I'll come out of the bushes and… BOOYAH!" Two fists pounded together with a massive crack.

There was fire in Yang's eyes as she looked towards her teammates, searching for their approval of her plan; instead, Blake shook her head in silent exasperation while Weiss attempted to ignore the fact that she even existed. The blonde's face fell, shoulders drooping… "C'mon! It'll be awesome! We do this all the time to each other, don't we Auntie?"

The last - and eldest - woman in their group smiled and held up her hands, as if to say, 'don't drag me into this'. "Just please try and keep my garden intact this time," she said, "My petunias are finally filling in and I would hate to see them ruined."

The brawler gave an uneasy laugh, rubbing shyly at the back of her head as she recalled her last 'ambush' attack; the subsequent fight that followed had left her Aunt Raven's yard little more than a patch of dirt and shredded vegetation.

"I… uh, I'll try and keep that in mind," she mumbled, checking her scroll for the time. Sighing, she shoved it back into her pocket and said, "They should be here any minute now. Last chance to join in on the fun!" When she received nothing but silence for her efforts, Yang threw her hands up in defeat and marched out the door, muttering something along the lines of 'killjoys' beneath her breath.

"Well, I suppose its better they perform these antics _outside _the house rather than _in_ it," Raven sighed, as the three women watched Yang shimmy her way up a tree; no doubt aiming for the height advantage. "Would you two like some tea? I imagine this will take awhile."

Both Weiss and Blake nodded, comfortable with being in the elder woman's presence. They had been visiting Yang and Ruby's relatives for over a year now, the couple hosting dinner for them several times a month; so kind and welcoming were their Aunt Raven and Uncle Qrow, it was almost as if they too had become part of the family.

"Make yourselves comfortable, dears. I'll just put on the kettle."

As Weiss took a seat in the living room, she couldn't help but allow her mind to wander; Raven and Qrow were the typical elderly couple, though they weren't really all that old to begin with - late fifties, if she was certain. She had seen them argue over petty things once or twice, but most of the time they were kind and sweet, teasing and playful with one another, doting and extremely mindful of the other's presence. And as she looked around the quaint room, she could imagine the two sitting side by side as they watched the evening news; or Uncle Qrow changing the lightbulb above the bookcase; Aunt Raven reading a magazine while her husband tinkered away at his little toys and knickknacks… the small things.

In fact, everywhere she looked, she could imagine little snippets of their everyday lives; and secretly, she wondered if that was how life would be for her when _she _was married.

'If _I get married,'_ she corrected herself. Her heart gave a painful lurch every time she thought about it; it was all too much for her to take sometimes. How could she even _consider_ marriage? She didn't even love anyone in that sort of way, or so she assumed; and she was always with _Ruby_, so it wasn't like she had had much time to have met anyone to begin with. But then again, it wasn't as if her parents actually expected her to marry out of love...

No. Love was completely off the table. There was simply no room for emotional attachment in business; she would be expected to marry someone like herself - wealthy, well-educated, and from a family whose affluence would only better her own. But as much as she wished to deny it, she knew that eventually, this day would come; the day when she would have to make a choice between family expectations and her own lifelong desires.

'_If it were up to me and me alone… this wouldn't be so difficult.'_ she thought, absentmindedly nodding her thanks as a steaming cup of tea was carefully set in front of her before Aunt Raven excused herself to finish dinner. '_If things were simple, I wouldn't have to get married. I don't want to, so I shouldn't have to! But… its _not _that simple… everything is so much more complicated than tha-...'_'

"Weiss? _Weiss…!_"

Snapping to attention, the snowy haired Huntress mumbled her apologies and took a hurried sip of her tea to hide her embarrassment. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" she asked, flustered that she had been caught so unawares.

Blake, who had been attempting to gain her attention for several minutes now, eyed the heiress curiously. "Is everything alright, Weiss?" she asked, sounding worried. It was so unlike Weiss to lose focus, even in the most frenzied and chaotic of times; so the fact that she had been zoned out while _sipping tea_ meant that whatever it was, it was something big.

"Yes, yes! Of course," Weiss was quick to reply, "I'm sorry. I was simply remembering what I needed to do to finish preparing for our last oral board. Its only a month away, after all." She internally applauded herself for recovering so quickly; there was no way Blake would-...

"Liar."

"I… I beg your pardon?" she stammered, her heart skipping a beat at the way the Faunas narrowed her golden eyes at her.

"I said liar," Blake replied calmly, her gaze fixed on her now nervous looking teammate. "I know you, Weiss. You don't get distracted so easily."

"As much as you all like to believe that I am, I'm not perfect," Weiss retorted, averting her eyes. "I too am susceptible to wandering thoughts, if that's so hard to believe."

"No one said you were perfect," Blake replied flatly, "But you _are_ better than this. Like I said, I know you, Weiss. I've known you for nearly four years now and while you and I haven't always seen eye to eye on things, I like to think that I know you well enough to realize when you're hiding something."

'_Hiding something? Does she know…?'_ "And what exactly do I have to hide? Have… have you been talking to Pyrrha?" she asked, her tone laced with apprehension.

"I may have ran into her at the bookstore the other day," Blake answered, eyes locking with Weiss'. "And… she may have mentioned a few… _things_."

"S-she _told_ you!?" Weiss seethed, her mind reeling with shock; but Pyrrha had _promised_ to keep her secrets! "Who else did she tell? Did she tell Jaune? Her team? Why not the whole world!" It was bad enough that she had been forced to make a decision, but to have that decision made _public knowledge_? It was outrageous! An invasion of privacy! Didn't she already have enough stress as it was?

Blake, realizing Weiss was dangerously close to one of her notoriously angry rants, gripped her by the arm and yanked her down onto the couch before she could even begin. "Calm yourself," she demanded, forcing the other woman to look at her. "Pyrrha didn't tell anyone else, okay? She only told me because she was getting worried that you might panic and make your decision too quickly. She also wanted the opinion of someone else who was… in a committed relationship."

The Huntress felt her anger ebb at her friend's somber tone; suddenly very ashamed of her childish outbreak. While Blake and Yang were nowhere near ready to get married, it was well known amongst their group of friends that marriage was the intended goal of their relationship. Unfortunately, while the world had no qualms with two women marrying, the union of a human and a _Faunas _was seen as an abomination - borderline illegal with the way most viewed it - and would be nearly impossible without crossing a lot of red tape.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly, head lowered in shame.

The dark haired woman gave her a small smile in a return, a reassurance that it was all water under the bridge. "Its not necessary," Blake replied, "With what Pyrrha has told me, I wouldn't blame you for blowing up like that. You know how I feel about your family and their labor practices, but I know that its more society's fault for refusing to ensure equal rights amongst all people - human or Faunas. But… to essentially force their own daughter into marriage? That's low… even for the Schnees."

"It was to be expected," Weiss sighed, staring intently at the floor; she knew that if she looked up, she would see Blake, her eyes filled with pity… and she didn't want that. She didn't think she could handle it.

"That doesn't make it right," the shadow wielder persisted, frowning at the rather dejected look upon Weiss' face. She had always disliked the Schnees - Weiss being the one exception once they'd gotten to know each other - but even she found it hard to believe that they would treat their own flesh and blood as as much of a slave as they did the Faunas. It was _wrong_; just wrong, and on so many levels…

"I'll lose everything," Weiss insisted, a bitter resentment welling within her. "My name, my inheritance, everything I was born to be… taken away…"

"And would that really be so bad?" Blake countered, folding her hands across her lap. "You're a trained Huntress, Weiss. Its not as if you'd end up on the streets with nothing but the clothes on your back. You're top of our class in academics and in the top ten ranked for combat. Work will be easy to come by and the pay is pretty good. Of course, it won't be enough to buy that mansion you grew up in, but its more than enough to keep your weapon supplied with Dust, a roof over your head, and food on the table. And most importantly… you'll be free to live your life as _you_ see fit."

"Its not that simple!" the fencer argued, shaking her head vehemently in denial. Blake didn't understand; no one did! She was born a Schnee, raised to uphold the family legacy - both in business and lineage - and it was not something she could just toss away; like a used rag.

"Yes it _is_," the other woman shot back, "You just don't _want _it to be!"

"Look, I don't _want_ any of this!" Weiss cried, surging to her feet as her voice steadily grew louder and louder. "I don't want to have to choose between my family and my freedom! If it were up to me, we wouldn't even be having this conversation to begin with! But it _isn't_ up to me! I know my mother and father better than any of you… no matter what I decide, it won't be up to me! Not really… someway, somehow, they'll find a way… I have no _real _choice!"

Clenching her fists firmly at her sides, Weiss shut her eyes; voice hoarse as she croaked, "I'm… going to have to get married…"

"You're going to _what!?_"

* * *

**A/N: So, I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend. I was planning on writing/posting this on Friday or Saturday, but I don't think I spent more than two or three hours actively conscious at home. Went on a bar-hopping marathon with friends this weekend and I only vaguely remember bits and pieces; a new drinking game for connect four, a mechanical bull, a trap door, and lots of disgusting, greasy food that will be fueling my next ten guilt sessions to the gym...  
**

**Anyway, just a few things I'd like to point out/explain for this particular chapter:**

**- Terra Cotta/Cato: I'm not big on OCs and I tend to avoid using them at any cost if possible. I like to focus more on pre-established characters, but I do find OCs okay if 'exposure' is kept to a minimum. Terra was based on the Terracotta army, and her semblance based on the fact that terra cotta translates into 'baked earth'. That being said, if you were a bit confused by their purpose, it was essentially a 'job interview' done RWBY style via duel. Since Beacon is (what I assume in my head) the equivalent to college, then usually you start branching out and 'networking' in order to find a job once graduation starts creeping up. I mean, its not as if Remnant has LinkedIn, so this was what I came up with. **

**- Uncle Qrow/Aunt Raven: There's so little known about Qrow that I made it up. I introduced him into the story because he was Ruby's mentor pre-Beacon and as his student/niece, I like to think that he'd reach out to her. As for Aunt Raven, I have no idea if Qrow is actually married or not. But I added her more for Weiss' sake than anything - to sort of 'compare' different stages of marriage. Pyrrha/Jaune were the newlyweds, Qrow/Raven the old couple that stuck together, and Blake/Yang somewhere in between as the ones who _want_ to get married, but can't. **

**And finally, a HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed; I was hoping for maybe 5-7 (as that seems to be my average) but you guys really blew me away! I can't say thank you enough for all the kind words, criticism, and support you guys left. I can only ask that you keep reviewing, and I'll do my best to try and be worthy of it all.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**First Comes Love: Chapter 5**

The sun dipped low beneath a western horizon, a pinkish-orange hue splashed across the dwindling sky; long shadows and silhouettes stretching across the empty expanse of pavement and road. It was a lovely sight to behold, and one Yang would have deeply appreciated, if not for the fact that she was currently preoccupied with her plan of attack. In the near distance, two familiar figures walked beneath the blonde's scrutinizing gaze; lilac eyes intently focused on the smaller of the duo.

'_No escape now, lil sis...'_ she thought, a predatorial grin set upon her features.

Licking her chapped lips in silent anxiety, Yang crouched lower; hidden beneath the overhanging greenery of a higher branch. From her vantage point in the trees, she could easily monitor their approach, smug in the knowledge that they would never see her coming. Powering up her gauntlets, the brawler was locked and loaded, fully prepared to pounce when the right opportunity presented itself.

"_Its not that simple!"_ a voice cried from the house.

Jerking slightly in surprise, Yang cast a dubious glance towards the front window, which offered a full view into the living room. Weiss and Blake seemed to be in the middle of an argument of sorts, if the irritated looks on their faces were any indication.

'_What the hell is going on down there?'_ she asked herself. Curiosity getting the better of her, Yang cast her gaze on the slowly approaching figures and promised a silent, '_Another time, Ruby… another time...'_ before leaping from the branch, back onto solid ground. Dusting off her shorts and deactivating Ember Celica, she walked in through the door just in time to catch the end of Weiss' speech.

"I'm… going to have to get married…"

Yang's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "You're going to _what!?_" she sputtered, nearly choking on her own spit.

The fencer spun on her heel, face drained of color; with the expression of a deer caught in the headlights. "Yang! What are you doing inside? I thought you were waiting for Ruby! Is… is she here…?" '_Oh gods, please don't tell me she heard that too!'_ she pleaded, attempting to find any signs of her partner behind the blonde.

"She's coming up the street now," Yang answered dumbly, still too stunned to react. "You're getting married?"

"I… you weren't supposed to hear that!" Weiss groaned, slapping an open palm over her face. But at least it had been Yang and not her younger sister… her eyes bulged in realization; Ruby would arrive any moment now, and Yang - in her addled state of mind - would spill the beans in a heartbeat. "You need to come with me, right now!" she demanded, strutting forward and dragging the bewildered Huntress down the hall and into Qrow's study.

"But… but… you're _getting married_?" she babbled, for the second consecutive time.

"Yes!" the heiress growled, "Is that really so hard for you to believe, you dunderhead?"

"N-no! It's… it's just…" She trailed off, unable to find the right words to convey her shock. "It's surprising?" she eventually tried.

"Is that really the best word you could come up with?" Weiss mumbled, her face deadpanned.

A long silence…

"_You're getting married?"_

Her left eye twitched. "Oh, for the love of-... fix your girlfriend!" the Schnee cried, glaring at Blake - who had followed them in from the living room - as if it were her fault for the brawler's apparent inability to properly process her thoughts.

The Faunas shot Weiss a dirty glare before reaching forward and cupping Yang's cheeks, forcing the other woman to look at her. "Yang, sweetie, I know you're in shock. But you really need to calm down," she spoke, quietly. "Weiss has a few problems she needs working out and you weren't supposed to hear what you just heard… at least, not yet anyway. And Ruby hasn't heard about any of this either, so I really need you to pull yourself together before she walks in on the three of us, like you did with Weiss and me."

Despite the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions running rampant through her mind, Yang found safe harbor in the familiar pools of golden amber; reassurance that everything was okay, and that the world was not set to explode _because Weiss was getting married_. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to get so carried away…"

"Its quite al-..."

Ruby's head popped in from the hallway. "Hey, guys! What're you all doing in he-..."

Yang, still frazzled by what she had seen and heard, shoved past her two teammates and did the first thing that came to mind. "You're not supposed to be here!" she cried, deploying Ember Celica.

"Yang, no!" both Weiss and Blake tried, but it was already too late.

_FWAP! KA-CHINK! BOOM!_

"Owww, god! Yang! Why!?"

Ten minutes later, a rather disgruntled looking Ruby sat on the couch, nursing a bag of ice against her bruised cheek and sucking on her split lip. A worried Weiss knelt in front of her, gently assessing the injuries, and muttering soft apologies any time her touch forced the other woman to wince away.

"Weiss, stop… that _hurts_," she hissed, as soft hands pulled the ice away to better inspect the dark, blotchy mark upon her face.

"Why didn't you activate your aura?" she sighed, tenderly placing the ice back over her wound.

"Well _excuse me_ for thinking I wouldn't get power punched through a wall just for saying hi!" the younger girl grumbled, "And speaking of which… what hell was that even for, huh, Yang?"

The room went deathly still as the three older women shared nervous looks, which only served to intensify Ruby's irritation as she stood up and threw the bag of ice to the ground. "Seriously, what is going on? And you better not lie to me!" she demanded, crossing her arms firmly over her chest. In her younger years, Ruby would have been too shy, too afraid of being judged, to assert her authority as team leader. But she was older now, more confident, and had had plenty of time to grow into the role.

"... it was my fault," Weiss finally admitted, knowing now that she could not hide her secret from Ruby any longer.

Silver eyes landed upon the smaller form of her best friend and partner, awaiting an explanation. She didn't particularly enjoy having her face smashed in, and added to the minor panic attack her Aunt Raven had upon seeing her ruined hallway, Ruby was in a less than forgiving mood. "What, did you _tell _Yang to punch me?" she asked, biting her tongue to keep herself from lashing out. No matter how angry she felt, she could never bring herself to yell at the heiress.

"No, no… its nothing like that," Weiss replied, shaking her head vehemently in denial. "That part was completely Yang."

"Way to throw me under the bus, princess," the blonde mumbled, earning a sharp elbow from Blake and two annoyed stares from her sister and her partner.

"I can't be responsible for how she handled the situation, but it _is_ my fault she was in that situation to begin with," the fencer explained, lowering her head to stare at the floor. "She walked in on my conversation with Blake at a bad time…"

"Which was about...?" Ruby pressed, ducking her own head, in hopes of catching Weiss' eye.

"Yang and I are going to start clearing out the debris," Blake cut in, before the heiress could answer. She could sense where this discussion was headed and she knew they needed to talk it out by themselves.

Ruby's eyes wandered from the anxious Weiss, to the calm Blake, to an apologetic Yang, and then back to Weiss; they were hiding something from her, and whatever it was, it must have been big. "Its not a load bearing wall, but Uncle Qrow has some spare woodwork in the garage. Once you get it all cleaned up, make a support for the frame just in case," she ordered. The older two nodded, knowing the extra work was Ruby's indirect way of saying, 'Weiss and I need alone time'.

When they were gone, the taller girl gently goaded Weiss into taking a seat on the couch. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" she asked, frowning when the white haired Huntress turned her head and looked away. "Weiss, what are you hiding?"

Instead of answering, the older girl retrieved her scroll and pulled up the latest message from her father, ironing out the details of his ultimatum. Silently, she handed it to Ruby, who gave her a questioning stare in reply. Motioning for her to read, Weiss watched as her partner's expression alternated between curiosity, anger, and - most of all - disbelief; her brows scrunched in deep concentration and her mouth wide open in shock.

"You… you're getting married…" It was less of a question and more of a statement, and Weiss did not miss the almost accusing tone in her voice.

"Its not set in stone," she said, weakly, "and I have until graduation to decide. But… I honestly don't see how I have much choice. I can't just-..."

"Give up your name," Ruby finished, knowingly. "I understand. I know how much it means to you and how hard you've worked to earn your birthright. It would be wrong to simply throw it away like that."

"I know…" Weiss sighed, seemingly more tired and appearing far older than her mere twenty one years of age suggested. "But at the same time, I don't want to give up being a Huntress. I enjoy my life as it is now…" '_... with you,'_ she silently added, "and I worked just as hard to earn that title, but I don't want them taking away my inheritance either. I could care less about the money and the possessions… but my _name_, my history. Its just as much a part of me as the blood that flows through my veins. I am Weiss _Schnee_ and I can be no one else!"

"Weiss, calm down," said Ruby, taking her hand and clasping it warmly in her own. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I _know_ you; I _understand_. I know that this isn't easy, and I know that this is literally tearing you apart - being forced to choose. But just know that, whatever you decide, I'll stand by you. If you get married, I expect to be named the maid of honor! And whoever your husband, wife, whatever is… be sure that Crescent Rose and I will be paying them a visit, and we will have a thorough chat on how to properly treat my best friend…" She grinned playfully at this, before her gaze softened and she quietly whispered, "But if you give it up, and they throw you out… just remember, you'll always have a place to stay with me. That's a promise."

And she smiled, as she always did, even as her heart sunk and the world as she knew it crashed all around her. '_But is it selfish if I hope you choose to stay...?'_

* * *

"So… you're getting married?"

Weiss glared at Yang from across the table for what must have been the tenth time that hour. "How many times are you going to ask that in one night?" she asked, her icy stare locking onto the blonde from over the salad bowl.

Yang shrugged through a mouthful of potatoes, "As many times as it takes for it to make sense?"

"Marriage is quite the responsibility," Qrow mused sagely, from his position at the head of the table; beside him, his wife nodded quietly in agreement. "Especially for a powerful heiress such as yourself."

"I know I shouldn't be surprised at how far your family would go in order to ensure your cooperation, but its still a difficult concept to grasp," Blake added, looking up from her plate of baked fish and lemon. "It certainly isn't right."

Before Weiss could even open her mouth to retort, Ruby shot both of her teammates a heated look. "Yang, Blake, let it go," she ordered, in what her team had come to know as Ruby's 'authoritative' voice; one that meant all hell would break loose if she was not obeyed. "This is Weiss' personal issue, and if she _wants_ your opinion, she will _ask _for it. Is that understood?"

"Ruby, its okay, really. I don't mind. Its almost a relief, actually, now that I can speak freely of it," Weiss assured, reaching out to take the hand of the bristling girl who sat beside her. Although Ruby had promised that she was fine with whatever choice Weiss made, she knew her friend well enough to know that she was pushing aside her own feelings on the matter simply to remain as supportive as possible. It was just the stupid, selfless, _Ruby_ sort of thing for her to do.

'_Dunce,'_ she thought, fondly.

"If you say so," Ruby relented - though hesitant - before giving her hand a squeeze and pulling away. Picking up her fork and knife, she scooped Weiss' pepperoncinis from their bed of leafy greens and transferred them onto her own plate; in return, she deposited a small pile of black olives onto her partner's, who paused just long enough for the trade to take place before continuing her meal as if nothing had happened. They knew each others' taste well enough - Weiss hated pepperoncinis but adored olives, and Ruby could have cared less either way - so it was something that had become almost automatic between the two when these specific ingredients were included.

Although it was nothing but normal routine between the two, the interaction was not lost on the remaining four seated with them. Each shared knowing smiles, and Yang, who could never pass up such a golden opportunity, cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"Sooo, Weiss," she began, calmly buttering a bread roll. "The way you explained it, your father doesn't necessarily care _who_ you marry, just as long as you actually _get_ married… did I get that right? Like… he couldn't give a rat's ass about it?"

"Its a little more complicated than that, but in essence, yes," Weiss answered, wiping daintily at her mouth with a napkin. "As long as my future spouse is able to strengthen the Schnee reputation, then he - as you so eloquently put it - could not give rat's ass on the matter."

"Okay, perfect! Then I have the solution to all your problems!" she announced, puffing her chest proudly.

"Do you now? And what, in all your apparent infinite wisdom, do you propose I do?" the blue eyed heiress inquired, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Yang didn't skip a beat; tearing off a chunk of bread and chewing it thoughtfully, she replied, "Its simple. Just marry Ruby."

At this, said Huntress gave a loud, gasping cough as she choked on her food; beating a heavy fist against her chest in desperate hope of dislodging it from her airway. Beside her, Weiss raised her hand and slapped her back, all the while shooting furious glares at the undisturbed Yang.

"First… the wall a-and then… this…" she wheezed, "Its like… you people are trying to kill me…" Weiss sighed and gave her a glass of water, which the younger woman gulped down greedily before crying, "How is that supposed to fix _anything_? Did you not hear the 'her spouse needs to strengthen the Schnee reputation' part. In terms of the economic-social scale, I'm literally at the _bottom _of the totem pole. Besides, its not like I have anything good to offer in a relationship…"

Ruby sighed heavily, her shoulders slumped in an unconscious display of defeat.

"... I'm just a nobody, y'know?" she finished, with a forced laugh. Rubbing anxiously at the back of her neck, Ruby slid from her chair and stood up. "I just remembered that I have some paperwork to fill out and its due… soon. Aunt Raven, Uncle Qrow… thanks for dinner. I always appreciate you doing this for the team. And don't worry, I'll come back this weekend with some drywall and paint and I'll patch up the hallway."

"Think nothing of it, dear," her aunt replied, but Ruby shook her head and let her know that it was her responsibility to fix it.

"Yang, Blake… take care of yourselves," she went on, "and Weiss, I guess I'll see you back at the dorm." Kissing her relatives goodbye, Ruby gave a short wave in parting and left the house. Not five seconds later, twin slaps could be heard as both Weiss and Blake smacked Yang for her stupidity.

"Ouch! I'm sorry! It was just a joke!"

* * *

The walk back to school was thankfully a peaceful one, with few interruptions to disturb her path. She was usually a very friendly individual, smiling kindly to those she passed on the street - maybe even striking up a conversation with those headed her way - but tonight she simply could not be bothered. Her mind was elsewhere, distracted by thoughts of her snowy haired friend, and the impending decision she would have to make.

As selfish as it would appear, the most prominent thought was of how lonely she would be once Weiss was gone; for as much as she believed her friend's words, being a Schnee had always come before being a Huntress. And Ruby… well, she had rarely - if ever - been alone.

When she was younger, it had always been her and Yang; then she entered Signal, and Uncle Qrow had been her mentor; following that had been her early acceptance to Beacon, and from then on, it had been her, Team RWBY, and Team JNPR. She had always had someone to talk to, or joke around and play pranks with, to share her days and adventures into the forest with.

Sure, everyone had assured her that they would all remain friends forever - and she believed it, truly, she did - but then Jaune and Pyrrha got together, shortly followed by Blake and Yang; Ren and Nora had always been as close as ever… and it just wasn't the same ever again. Being the youngest in the group, she had always felt a bit like the odd one out, but even when it appeared that her friends were leaving her behind… Weiss had been there.

But had she really been so innocent, so naive - so _arrogant_ - to believe that Weiss would stay with her forever? As much as she claimed to deny it, Ruby knew in the deepest depths of her heart that, one day, Weiss would leave her too. And while the life of a Huntress was a noble profession, Weiss was too good, too talented, too smart… too _everything_ to settle for such a mundane lifestyle. She had been born in the most powerful family in all of Vytal; destined to do far greater things than Ruby could ever imagine herself accomplishing.

_'And it would be selfish of me to hold you back...'_

There was also the matter of her parents. Ruby had known of her family's demands almost as long as she had known Weiss herself; as they had taken the liberty of sending her messages nearly as often as they did their daughter. It was almost always the same thing; a request that she talk sense into Weiss, to persuade her to give up Hunting, even going so far as attempting to bribe her for her assistance. Ruby had done the best she could to ignore them, and had never once told Weiss about their interference; she didn't want her to worry, and more importantly, she didn't want her partner thinking she _wanted_ her to go home. Because she didn't.

Weiss was her partner, her constant companion, her best friend; she was just so much to Ruby, more so than she realized. Every time Ruby came back from a long mission - or even something as simple as class - she returned with the knowledge that she would be coming home to something so inherently _right_.

"What happens now, when I come back and you aren't there…" she sighed, quietly. What would she do when she returned home, without the comfort of Weiss' presence, and found nothing but empty silence? A rough hand was placed upon her chest and she rubbed it in discomfort; a familiar pain tore through Ruby, similar to the one she had felt only months ago, when a Nevermore's feather had pierced through her… only this time, it had gone straight through her heart.

'_I miss you already.'_

* * *

**A/N: Shortest chapter by far, and for that I apologize, but I wanted to get this one out of the way - I'm terrible at writing all these emotions, especially in bulk as I've been doing lately. I love hearing (reading) what you all have to say, so leave a comment/review! Have a good one!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**First Comes Love: Chapter 6**

There was a loud clang as Weiss set down her silverware. "I'm going after her," she proclaimed, folding her napkin and neatly setting it upon the table. They had been sitting in near silence for almost ten minutes now, and Raven and Qrow had left to another room in order to let the girls talk.

"Weiss, wait. No," Blake intervened, reaching for her teammate from across the table. Clasping the smaller hand in her own, she held it firmly enough to keep her from leaving but loose enough to avoid holding on too tight. "Look, it's a lot to take in all at once, and the way she found out doesn't exactly help either, but-..."

"I tried to tell her! I _did_," Weiss insisted, tugging her hand free as she paced back and forth across the wooden floorboards. "We were on patrol and I was going to tell her, but then there were Beowolves and-..."

"That doesn't matter," Yang cut in, before the heiress could descend into one of her endless tangents. "What matters now is that Ruby _knows_, okay? And regardless of how that came to be, that doesn't change the fact that this is some really big news. Like… 'Ursa Major on steroids' big, y'know? And Ruby, she's always been pretty good about taking things in stride, but you're her best friend and this is more than she knows how to handle. Give her some time to let it sink in."

The white haired Huntress groaned loudly. "That's exactly why I need to go after her! She doesn't know how to handle this! She'll start _thinking_ about it, and do you know what happens when Ruby thinks? She _overthinks_! Give her enough time and she'll micro-analyze things; she'll tear every detail to shreds, find the worst possible theory or idea and cling to it like its the last damned cookie in the jar!"

"Well, gee... I wonder who she could have learnt _that _from," the blonde mumbled quietly, though in the silence of the dining room, it was easily heard. Sapphire eyes landed on her in a frigid stare, and if looks could kill, Yang would have been dead several times over. "What? Don't act like you two haven't rubbed off on each other!" she protested.

Weiss' face twisted in distaste. "Please don't say stuff like that," she grimaced, "You have a way of making things sound wrong."

Yang rolled her eyes. "The _one_ time I don't make things into a dirty joke, and this is what I get?" She sighed. "Okay, fine. Let me put it like this, in the least offensive way I can think of… you and Ruby are really close, right?"

"How long did it take for you to figure _that _one out?" Weiss remarked, earning a sharp look from both Blake and Yang.

"Look, she's just trying to help okay?" the Faunas pointed out, "So it can do without the whole 'Ice Princess' charade, alright?"

She sighed heavily and sat back down at the table. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm listening," said Weiss, doing her best to appear composed and in control. "To answer your question, then yes, Yang. Ruby and I are close. She is my best friend, as I am her's."

"And you've spent a lot of time together?" Yang went on.

"Well, of course," Weiss replied, giving the blonde a strange look. "She and I are partners, and we've hardly ever been apart since Initiation. Even on summer holiday we'd meet twice, maybe three times a week, to train and study. Where exactly is this going? You're asking questions with answers you already know."

"Yes, but do _you_ know?"

"I-... _what_? You're hardly making any sense," the heiress grumbled, growing tired of being led in circles.

"What Yang is trying to say," Blake began, taking over for her partner, "is that when two people are in such close proximity to one another, and for such a long period of time - such as you and Ruby - then the traits of one person can often carry over to the other, and vice versa."

The smaller Huntress mulled it over for several seconds before nodding her head in agreement. "A fair point," she stated, "But what does that have to do with anything pertaining to the situation right now?"

Yang and Blake shared a quick glance, silently conversing through eye contact alone. "It… it doesn't," Blake finally answered. "Not really, anyway. But it does bring up _another _point, one that… you may or may not agree with."

"Which is?" Weiss asked, curious and - if she was honest - a little apprehensive. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked the way they were currently looking at her; like they knew something that she didn't.

"Its just… you and Ruby have sort of become reliant on one another's presence," said Yang, scratching nervously at the side of her cheek. "You depend on each other being there."

"Not to say that you two can't take care of yourselves on your own," Blake corrected, before Weiss could jump to conclusions. "You're both grown adults, skilled Huntresses, smart and resourceful… but what we mean to say is that you always expect the other person to be around. You've spent nearly every day together for the past three and a half years… what happens then if _you _get married? I don't think your future spouse will be too pleased with the idea of sharing their wife with her best friend."

"But its not as if we'll stop being friends all together. We will _always_ be friends, no matter what," Weiss asserted, locking eyes with Blake and then Yang; to let them know her words were true. While she remained undecided on her future's path, there was one thing she knew she could count on, and that was the fact that Ruby Rose would remain her best friend until the last breath left her body.

"We know, Weiss. We can see that… hell, even a _blind man_ could see that!" Yang answered, enthusiastically. "But the thing this… the thing is…" She exhaled sharply and looked to Blake, hoping that she could better articulate what they were trying to get across.

"Things will change, Weiss," the cat eared woman claimed, "Even before you make your decision, they'll change… they're already changing now. They've _been_ changing… so, I guess what we're trying to say is… just prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself for what?" Weiss asked, brows raised high in uncertainty. "Honestly, neither of you are making a shred of sense."

The couple shared another look.

"You'll figure it out," said Blake cryptically, "And when it hits you, you'll know…"

* * *

"Ruby? Are you home?" Weiss called, as she cautiously pushed open the door to their apartment. It had been nearly an hour since their leader's sudden departure from dinner and she could only hope that it had been enough time for her to settle down. "Ruby?" she tried again.

There was no response; the heiress greeted only by silence and a seemingly empty room.

As she removed her shoes and sighed - thinking Ruby had yet to return - a sliver of light in the otherwise darkened room caught her eye; a single, solid line of yellow in the sea of blackness, leading straight to their bedroom door. "If you're here, you should at least say something. I don't like having to talk to myself," she grumbled, though she was relieved to know the younger woman had made it back okay.

Peeking through the crack of the door, Weiss found Ruby seated at the lone desk in the room with her back to the entrance. Her red coat had been removed, hung over the chair's frame, as she hunched over the table. As she drew nearer, Weiss could feel that something was off; a subtle shift in the air that surrounded Ruby, radiating waves of uncertainty and doubt.

"Ruby, are you okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry. '_Is she still upset with Yang's joke?'_

Even as the floorboards creaked beneath her weight, the Huntress failed to notice Weiss' approach; her eyes - drawn narrowly in concentration - shooting wide with alarm at what happened next. Slender arms slid beneath Ruby's shoulders, wrapping together around her thin waist, and a soft chest was pressed warmly against the hard plane of her stiffened back. She tilted her head sideways, turning to face her friend and teammate; but as she did so, the rough skin of her cheek inadvertently brushed against the silky smoothness of Weiss' own, who had lowered her head to rest her chin upon the girl's neck.

Shimmering silver met pale blue as eyes filled with shock locked onto eyes filled with concern; her partner's fingers slowly intertwining through her own, forcing her to drop the stack of papers she had been surveying. As they fell to the wooden surface of the table, she felt her heart leap inexplicably and - despite her earlier mood of melancholy - the leader of Team RWBY felt herself relax into the familiar warmth.

"Hey, Weiss…" she smiled, gently.

"What are you doing?" the other woman asked, curious.

"I left to go over some paperwork, remember?" Ruby mumbled, playing with Weiss' hands and silently marveling at how soft they had remained, even after years of combat; in stark contrast, her own had grown thick and calloused, hardened from continuous use of Crescent Rose.

"Mission reports?" asked Weiss, lips murmuring against Ruby's neck as she looked over the files before them. "But these aren't from the school..."

"I had a Hunters' Duel this morning," she explained, leaning ever more so into the embrace; she knew moments like this - which had become fairly common between the two - would soon become far and few between, so for now, she would not allow a single one to pass her by.

"For the job hunter your Uncle Qrow wanted to introduce us all to?"

"Mhmm," she nodded, "I apparently made enough of an impression on his proctor to gain his attention. I thought Uncle Qrow was only messing with me when he said that, but I got a call from him after we left Signal saying he was interested in my services… sent over a fax of some requests for Hunters in the area and… well, here we are…" Hesitantly, she decided it best to leave out the part on Atlas; the night had been long enough, and she did not wish to go into any more lengthy conversations.

The idea of Ruby going on a Hunt - alone and _without her_ - sent an uneasy chill up Weiss' spine. She knew that she was being unreasonable, that despite what had happened months ago with the Nevermore, her fear was unfounded in the fact that it had been nothing more than a streak of bad luck. The scythe-wielder was one of the greatest students Beacon had produced to date - a Huntress prodigy at her age - and while she was still fairly inexperienced compared to more veteran Hunters, Ruby would grow to become a legend of their time. Of that, Weiss was certain.

'_And I would just be holding her back,'_ she thought, as her earlier conversation with the second half of team RWBY came to mind.

"_Its just… you and Ruby have sort of become reliant on one another's presence… you depend on each other being there."_

"_Not to say that you two can't take care of yourselves on your own… you're both grown adults, skilled Huntresses, smart and resourceful… but what we mean to say is that you always expect the other person to be around…"_

They were right. She and Ruby had grown too dependant on one another, and she - Weiss - had always tried to hide the younger girl away from the world; afraid to let her experience it in all its' cruel glory. But where Weiss had always seen the outside world as cold and ugly, Ruby had found beauty; she'd found a world worth saving, and vowed to be the one to do it. It was then that Weiss fully understood what Blake and Yang had tried so desperately to tell her at dinner.

"_... just be prepared… you'll figure it out… and when it hits you, you'll know…"_

And it hit her... _hard_; with the force of a raging Boarbatusk, it slammed into her, making her heart clench and stomach sink as she realized what she would have to do. What they would _both_ have to do. Born of the same world but to two very different societies, both she and Ruby had been shouldered with the burden of a great fate - she to reign as the head of the Schnee Dust Company, and Ruby to be the guiding light in a world ravaged by darkness. But just as fate had brought them together, it would soon lead them apart, for they could not fulfill their destinies relying on the crutch they had become for one another.

As if sensing the conclusion that Weiss had come to, Ruby shifted in her arms, turning so that they now faced one another fully. There was an intensity to her gaze, her storming eyes clouded with emotion, and the long silence that stretched between the two said more than words ever could. Smiling sadly, the younger Huntress nodded; she understood.

Weiss' eyes flickered downward to stare at Ruby's lips, and without thought, leant forward and ever so gently pressed her own against them. Kissing, just like everything else between them, had come naturally; there had never been anything romantic about it. Their kisses were rare and far and few between, but it was their way of expressing words better left unsaid; nothing more, nothing less.

It was little more than a chaste peck, but Weiss hoped Ruby knew what she was trying to say. '_Be safe, I love you always… you are and always will be my best friend, but you're meant for more. I won't stand in your way any longer.'_

But Ruby had only heard one word, '_Goodbye.' _

So standing from her seat, she squeezed Weiss in a tight hug, as a sense of finality hung in the air. Then, grabbing her coat and Crescent Rose… she turned and walked away.

* * *

Sweat glistened upon her forehead, beads of perspiration rolling slowly along the curves of her face and neck; she blinked profusely as a salty droplet stung her eyes. Running a hand through her disheveled black and crimson locks, Ruby agitated the bangs and shook off whatever excess water remained. The prey she sought was exceedingly dangerous, one that required nothing less than her complete and total concentration.

Sensing something behind her, the Huntress gripped the hilt of Crescent Rose and held it steady before her; eyes narrowing as she tilted her head, glancing cautiously over her shoulder. A massive overgrowth of trees and brush caught her attention, and altering direction, she moved towards it on soundless feet. Preparing herself for what lay ahead, she reached out and threw back the curtain of leaves.

Instead of the behemoth that she was expecting, Ruby found herself face to face with the small, tawny colored body of a regular tree squirrel. "Aw, hey little guy," she cooed softly, releasing a breath of relief. Hands clasped around the wooden shell of a nut, the animal stood upon its hind legs and stared curiously at the human before it, big black eyes round with curiosity. A moment later, it made a high pitched chittering before clambering up the side of a nearby tree, disappearing into the branches with its long, fluffy tail trailing behind.

'_Okay, so if its not here, then where is it?'_ she thought, returning her attention back to the Hunt. Backing herself up against a rocky hillside, Ruby double checked the perimeter before retrieving her scroll from its pouch. Ignoring the five missed calls and two new messages, she pulled open the GPS application and reread her coordinates.

"The last known sighting should place it somewhere around here," she mumbled, shoving the scroll back into her pouch. '_Unless its already found itself a nesting place,'_ thought Ruby, continuing to seek her surroundings for any sign of the enemy. '_Then I'll really be in trouble...'_

The sound of air as it rushed past her too chapped lips was loud, and she focused on controlling the organs responsible for it until her breathing quieted to almost nothing. Amidst the rustling of leaves and the creaking of trees in the wind; over the sounds of foraging creatures; she listened with rapt attention, waiting for the faintest of hints to her prey's whereabouts.

'_Maybe I should try and draw it out,'_ she considered, as time went by and nothing happened. '_But that may just end up attracting other Grimm in the area as well. And I need to be careful not to damage the egg sack if I want that bonus... '_ Weighing her options, the scythe-wielder eventually reasoned that it was not worth the risk; she was confident in her own abilities, but the conditions placed on this specific Hunt asked for more subtle warfare. Or at the very least, until her main threat had been eliminated and the bonus package secured.

Fortunately, luck was on Ruby's side, as she came upon a trail of flattened brush and marred trees; the obvious disturbance to the forest's landscape a dead giveaway to which direction the beast was headed. With the aid of her sniper's sight scope, the red clad Huntress gazed into the distance and scouted the territory further along its' path. Finding no sign of the Grimm, she hurriedly followed the route of destruction; though she remained careful of her surroundings.

Saving her speed for later, Ruby jogged along the beaten path; ducking beneath bushes and dodging behind trees to conceal her approach. Her aura was beginning to tingle, letting her know that she was getting nearer, and she could feel her body go onto high alert. Suddenly, the earth before her gave a mighty tremble as a shockwave of dirt and debris flew high into the air; it was oddly reminiscent of her duel with Terra several days earlier, only this time she noted, the attack had come from above.

For several moments there was nothing but silence, broken only by the intermittent clump of soil as it landed back upon the forest floor.

But then there came a deep, terrifying moan; a bellowing challenge accentuated by the sharp clap of two massive pincers. As the cloud of debris began to settle, the Grimm's form began to take proper shape; first the eerie red eyes, then its thick exoskeleton and the eight furry legs attached it; and finally the heavy golden stinger that loomed ominously amongst the treetops.

The colossal Death Stalker towered over Ruby as she took a cautionary step back and whispered silent oaths of amazement; it was easily the largest she had seen yet - including the one Team JNPR had defeated first year - and it was made only more prominent by the fact that this was an obviously pregnant female; as the translucent sack of eggs that trailed behind it testified.

"This better be worth it," she groaned, having only a second to blink her eyes in surprise before a claw larger than her own body came crashing forward. Rolling away, she fired Crescent Rose, the recoil launching her back to safety. She had but seconds to regain her bearings before a second claw was swung her way, swiping the mass of flesh and bone with enough force to shatter stone.

Throwing herself to the floor, she could feel the pincer whip by, narrowly avoiding having her head sheared off. Death Stalkers were by no means slow creatures, but as Ruby wildly dodged yet another swing, she couldn't help but think that this one was unnaturally fast. It was smart too, vicious and unrelenting in its attacks; allowing the Huntress little to no time to gain her composure. She could only chalk it up to heightened or enhanced instincts, due to the Grimm's inherent nature of survival - not just for itself, but for the unborn eggs it carried within its sack.

'_Well, at least this isn't the first time I've dealt with angry Mama-Grimm,'_ she thought, bringing up Crescent Rose to deflect the oncoming blow. As it impacted against the cold steel of her scythe, Ruby could feel the shockwave of vibrations run up her fingers, through her wrists, and all the way up her arms into her chest and shoulders. '_I'm definitely going to feel this in the morning...'_

Disengaging, she leapt to the side just in time, as the scorpion-like monster brought its stinger back into play; striking the ground where she once was, decimating it into rock and rubble. Folding Crescent Rose into its rifle form, Ruby rolled beneath its belly and unloaded a full magazine into its unarmored gut. Reloading quickly, she wiggled her way back out into the open, careful to avoid its many legs as it thrashed about in pain.

While unprotected, the skin beneath the Death Stalker's plated bone was thick, and though she had managed to pierce through it, the underlying layer of fat meant she had only caused minor harm. But that was fine by Ruby, as she only intended to weaken and tire it out first before attempting to go in for the kill. She would only waste precious resources trying to bring it down otherwise, and she did not intend on blunting her blade without good reason.

Again and again, narrow swipes and misses, forcing her to duck and weave; but she was backing up, slowly leading it to a more open clearing in the forest where fighting would be easier. When they finally cleared the trees and she could properly see the sky without interruption, Ruby decided it was time she turn the tables.

"Okay," she said, as its stinger pierced through the ground at her feet, "That's enough."

A wry grin spread itself across her lips as the world around her stilled; as if everything else were moving through water. Soft leaves of deep red carried away into a non existent wind; a scattered swirl of rose petals guiding the way. Trusting full heartedly in her weapon and skills, Ruby closed her eyes for a brief moment; her chest rose and fell softly - inhale, exhale...

Silver eyes snapped back open, and the deadly dance of battle began.

To the outside observer, Ruby could be described as nothing more than indistinguishable blurs of crimson and silver; the scraping of metal against flesh creating a horrific noise as she tore into every unprotected inch of the Death Stalker's massive body. The arachnoid-like Grimm screeched its fury as the scythe ripped through one of its many legs; but swiveling to retaliate, the giant found nothing but a cloud of rose petals and another stab of pain from somewhere else.

Flailing its tail and snapping its pincers, the Death Stalker thrashed after the speed demon; but for every stab and swing of its mighty appendages, it was rewarded with nothing more than thin air and a puff of petals. Eventually, as their encounter dragged on, the beast grew tired; sloppy and sluggish, Ruby knew the right time had finally come.

'_You were fast,'_ she silently commended, somersaulting over an angry claw, '_But I was faster.'_

Retreating to a safer distance, she thanked Team JNPR for the inspiration and aimed her sniper at the exposed flesh between its tail and stinger. It wasn't an easy shot and was made only more difficult by the fact that her target was moving, but Ruby had not earned her rank as number one marksman in Beacon for hitting sitting ducks.

She squeezed the trigger; once, twice… three times. The skin there was thin and flexible - as opposed to the thick hide of its' belly - and as she took aim one last time, the stinger fell with a mighty thud; impaling itself through the heavy layer of bone plating atop the Death Stalker's head. Her lips twitched slightly in a satisfied smirk, and racing forward, she readied herself to deliver the final blow.

She drew closer and closer. Thirty feet… twenty feet… ten feet; Ruby sprang upwards as high as she could go, and then launched herself even higher with the assistance of Crescent Rose. The wind rustled through her clothes as she adjusted her body and realigned herself for the fall back to earth; then gravity took its toll. Now facing downwards, the Huntress twisted her body round and round until she became a spinning missile; gaining speed and momentum with the aid of her gun's recoil.

At the last moment, she flipped over into an upright position, throwing her feet into the head of the stinger with all her might; then she flipped backwards and away, to safely ensure the creature would die without further problem. The Death Stalker bellowed loudly in pain, staggering aimlessly as the life slowly left its body; lunging with its pointed claws, as if still attempting to fight off its' inevitable fate. Moments later, it gave a tremendous shudder as the ghastly red glow of its eyes flickered, before finally fading away.

"Thank god that's over," Ruby sighed, as a wave of relief washed over her. For several long minutes, she was aware of nothing more than the aching tiredness of her muscles and bones, the rush of adrenaline dwindling quickly now that the threat was over. Deciding that she had earned herself a brief moment of rest, the Huntress fell to her knees and released a heavy breath.

"I could _really _go for a cookie right about now," she mumbled, propping her back against the very claws that had - only a short time ago - attempted to end her life; the hulking mass of her now deceased adversary providing optimum shade from the intense heat of the midday sun. Shoving her hand deeply into the pouch of her belt, Ruby pulled out a strip of dried Boarbatusk jerky and tore into it as she typed a message onto her scroll. When she had notified the airship that she and the package were ready to be picked up, she set it down and returned to her snack.

'_Still not a cookie, but at least you'll do for now,'_ she thought, chewing fiercely to break through its leathery texture and relishing in the spicy blend used to flavor the meat. As she waited for the airship to arrive, Ruby mulled over her recently completed mission; it was not a Beacon sanctioned patrol and thus would not count towards her required hours for graduation. That didn't particularly bother her, as she and Weiss had completed the requirement nearly a month ago, only taking patrols now to further build their experience. Instead, it was a request from Vale's research facility on Grimm biology; the job given to her by Cato, who - true to his word - had started giving her assignments around the area.

This job had been above her pay rank as a fledgling Huntress, but after reading the details of the Hunt, she had all but begged the man to give it to her. It was a well known fact that female Death Stalkers were larger than their male counterparts, but they were much rarer to find; so when a _pregnant_ one had been sighted stalking the outskirts of the woods for a place to lay her eggs, the research facility jumped at the chance to study it. Ruby knew that if she were successful on this Hunt, not only would it be a huge win in terms of her professional relationship to Cato, but she could most likely get a recommendation letter from the research facility to add to her resume.

'_And then I'll be one step closer to a post in Atlas,'_ she concluded, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. She felt the familiar buzz of her scroll at her feet, and thinking it was the airship, picked it up to answer. Only at the last second did she realize that it was Weiss - _again_ - and hung up before a word could be said. Ruby knew it was a cruel thing to do, but at the same time, she simply could not stomach the conversation.

Releasing a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes. '_Weiss is going to get married and everyone else is already going their own way… it's about time I grow up and find my own way too.'_

* * *

**A/N: So, I guess I have some explaining to do again.  
**

**1. Title change - For starters, I actually really hated the old title. It was so plain and I felt like it didn't really convey much meaning other than the obvious 'Weiss' father issued an ultimatum'. _First Comes Love_ was inspired by the old schoolyard rhyme 'first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!' Maybe love _does_ come first, but it sure as hell doesn't come easy. If you read the A/N from chapter 1, you'll know that I mentioned the plot was loosely based off _Brave_. It was going to be simple: Weiss' dad pressures her to marry, the Vytal Festival returns to Vale, and she bargains with him that the winner will have her hand - as long as she is able to compete for the right to decide her own future. But then the idea slowly evolved into something more the further and further I got along, and thus, I felt it necessary to change the title and premise to fit that.**

**2. The Kiss - Very briefly, I'd like to explain before I get anyone raging at me for letting them kiss and nothing happened... I personally believe its okay for two people to kiss without it actually having to mean anything romantic. I kiss my relatives in a show of familial love; my friends and I kiss to say hello, goodbye, or as a show of affection and we all know that its nothing but platonic. **

**3. I know the story lately has been pretty 'angsty' or 'depressing' in the sense of Weiss & Ruby, but I hope that I'm doing enough to keep a balance between that, action, humor, and romance. Because even though this is primarily a fic revolving around WhiteRose, I also want it to reflect the uncertainties of growing up and taking responsibility, as well as finding something - or someone - you love who makes it all worth it. I actually think this quote is my new inspiration for the plot line: "If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, it was meant to be; if not, they were never yours to begin with." **

**Anyway, enough of that. A big, big thank you to all my readers, to all those that fav/follow, and to everyone who leaves a review. THANK YOU. I wouldn't have gotten this far along in the story without your guys' support and kind words, and although my story is less than perfect, I give it all and write it all for you. **


	7. Chapter 7

**First Comes Love: Chapter 7**

There were few settlements beyond the sprawling metropolis that was the City of Vale; it was the most populated region in the kingdom, and for good reason. The snowy mountains that capped the northern corner of the land were not necessarily inhospitable in climate - though the weather remained cold, life was still sustainable in these parts - but the terrain was rocky and the soil hard, making travel by land difficult. This, of course, meant the majority of Vale's populace had chosen to live amongst the more comfortable central plains; the weather there was fairer, the land good for toiling, and downtown Vale - with its easy access to the sea - had become the epicenter of business and culture.

Despite the near perfect living conditions of central Vale, this did not discourage others from settling upon the mountains and in the woods beyond the Emerald Forest and Forever Fall. They and their like minded peers set root upon shale and bedrock, as opposed to firm soil, building small towns and villages from the ground up; under the power of their own two hands. For some people, it was the desire to live in isolation, away from the hectic hustle and bustle of city life; for others, their motives were more greedy; the untouched earth a veritable free-for-all in search of untapped veins of Dust.

Whatever one's reason was for living in such rural settings, they were out there; and just as those who lived in the cities, they required protection. Grimm were born of darkness, and the shadow of their evil could not be contained to one, single area; here, in the untamed portion of the kingdom, their numbers were especially dense. Most Hunters and Huntresses found the unstable land undesirable for battle or occupation, and few ventured into these parts unless specifically called for.

One such Huntress now hung from the rocky crevice of a high mountain pass, climbing sideways as her dark, crimson coat billowed in the wind; the hood pulled tightly over her head and face to shield her eyes from the harsh gust of cold air. Digging her fingers into the cracked surface of hardened earth, she shifted right; feet finding purchase upon a small, jagged outcrop, she balanced herself out and kept the weight of her body pressed forward. Assured that she would not fall, she extended her arm and once more reached for something to grab onto.

Instead of the solid face of rock, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her fingertips; quickly retracting the hand, she shook it out and glared at whatever had injured her. Silver eyes narrowed sharply in annoyance, the angular shape of her jaw tightening as she clenched her teeth, almost snarling at the unexpected nest of Rapier Wasps; which hung from the branch of a lone tree that had somehow grown upon a small patch of dirt upon a ledge.

"Of all the stupid places to-... shoo!" Ruby growled, waving away the golf ball sized insect that had come out to harass her. Rapier Wasps were not particularly dangerous, despite the needle sized stingers protruding from their behind; they were not poisonous in the least, and were more of a nuisance than anything. Still clinging to the side of the mountain, she carefully leant down and slipped the spare knife she carried out of its hiding spot within her boot; as Crescent Rose was too large to bring out. With a vengeful swipe, she sliced the branch clean in two and watched as the hive went tumbling down into the foggy abyss below.

If insects could show facial expression, she knew that it had just given her a dirty look before zipping off, chasing after its fallen home.

"Stupid bug," Ruby grumbled, sucking on her finger and grimacing at the metallic taste of blood. Thankfully, she was not allergic to its' sting, as many people were; applying a bit of aura to the area, the small wound closed and she continued on her way. Unfortunately, that small distraction had broken through her focus, and the reason for her climbing along the cliff rather than hiking atop it became clearly evident.

A pack of Beowolves had taken to terrorizing a nearby village, their den hidden deep within the tangle of trees and vegetation that was the wild forest; she had hoped to sneak along the side of the cliff face and scout their territory without notice, but several had been lurking about when she'd arrived. Carrying through with her initial plan, she had kept tabs on their whereabouts through her aura's natural ability to sense danger; but while she had been distracted by the wasp, the wind had changed direction, no doubt carrying her scent upwards and giving away her position.

Now, there she hung, clinging to the thinnest lip of rock and staring straight up into the hateful eyes of three hungry Grimm. They were ten feet above her at most, and as one Beowolf threw back his head and howled, Ruby tossed her original plan out the window and sprung to the top of the ledge. Not a second later, she was ducking beneath a massive paw and rolling forward; away from the edge and further into the woods.

Whipping Crescent Rose from its' holster, she pressed a kiss atop the cool metal of her 'baby' and all but grinned with anticipation. "Time to get to work," she murmured, as the heavy clink of metal hit her ears; the scythe extended and held firmly at the ready. Twitching her finger against the trigger, she propelled forward and launched herself into the nearest beast, tearing through it with a single swipe.

The remaining two were quick to fall upon her, their muscles coiling before springing forward; teeth bared with fury and their desire for blood. The pointed tips of their claws were but inches from shredding into her when Ruby disappeared, nearly warping out of existence in a spray of red petals. Half a moment later, she reappeared behind them, slicing her curved blade across the base of their necks. Both howled at the pain, but were immediately silenced as she flipped overhead and sent a bullet into each of their skulls, watching in a morbid sense of satisfaction as their bodies slumped lifelessly to the floor.

"Rest in pieces," she said, before running off to meet the rest of their pack; who, by now, had heard their confrontation and were most likely headed to her position. Leaping to the trees, she ran along the branches, shooting blanks to keep her momentum going. Somewhere up ahead a howl sounded, followed by another; and another; and then another… until all she could hear were the low, whining pitch of the Beowolves, their voices in perfect sync.

Although she did not know the size of the pack, on average they ranged from five to ten; however, this was true wilderness and less frequented by trained Hunters. Thus, she expected to fend off fifteen to twenty, and as the first wave of Beowolves arrived, Ruby knew she had been right. Grabbing a spare Dust crystal from her belt, she tossed it between the largest group and shot at it with her rifle.

Like a fist of fire, it exploded upwards and out, incinerating those nearest to the devastating shock wave that followed. Taking advantage of their surprise, Ruby descended from the tree tops; the proverbial death from above as her sniper fired off round after round, her silver bullets burrowing through matted fur and flesh in a smatter of blood and innards. Caring little for her handiwork, she rushed past their steaming corpses in order to meet the second wave head on.

Leapfrogging over two fast approaching Grimm, she swung her scythe backwards and hooked it around the waist of her nearest adversary. Pulling the trigger, she tore clean through its body; continuing the movement, she twisted her hips and swiveled around its bi-sected figure, stabbing the spear of Crescent Rose's pole into the second Beowolf. Throwing her weight against the scythe, she angled it upwards, shoving the pointed end between its ribcage and directly into its heart.

The Grimm released a whimper, struggling to sink its claws into Ruby, but she ducked low and stabbed harder. A warm rush of breath hit her face - along with a splatter of red - as the final wisps of air left its lungs, and lifting her leg, she braced the flat of her boot against the body before roughly kicking it off her weapon. Wiping away the trickle of blood that had fallen upon her cheek, the Huntress turned around and sighed; in the little time it had taken to dispose of her enemy, she had been surrounded.

The largest of the Beowolves - no doubt the Alpha - slowly approached, standing upon its hind legs to showcase its muscular frame; it was an obvious sign of aggression and meant to intimidate her, but Ruby accepted the challenge without fear. She knew that Grimm were far more intelligent than most people realized, and knew the instant she attacked the Alpha, all hell would break loose.

The lesser wolves would serve as distraction, leaping at her and snapping their jaws, maybe even taking a swipe or two; then, as her focus was elsewhere, the Alpha would come in and deliver the final blow. To an untrained civilian or an inexperienced Hunter, it was a sound tactic, but Ruby was neither; she knew exactly how this went, and in the end, only one would remain.

That 'one', of course, being _her_.

Her aura flared as she disappeared, a dance of petals swaying through the air as Ruby swung her scythe round and round; a deadly pinwheel that mowed down all who stood in her way. The longer she moved, the faster she seemed to get, spinning Crescent Rose in an endless swirl; her blade ripping through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter. Limbs and body parts were sent this way and that way, littering the ground and staining it a deep red as slick pools of blood formed.

Soon, it was but her and the Alpha, its body tensed and fur bristling; angry snarls directed at Ruby as she dug her blade into the ground to halt her momentum. The dying cries of its fallen brethren only seemed to enrage the Beowolf further and, with an echoing roar, it threw itself at the woman responsible for their pain. Ruby stood, unwavering in her resolve, as the Grimm drew near; at the last second, she plucked her scythe from the ground and cleaved through it; once, twice… it fell to the floor in a heap of indistinguishable parts, and the forest around her fell silent.

"That was… anticlimactic," she noted duly, having hoped for a somewhat more epic showdown. Though it was much better than the alternative, she supposed; the alternative, of course, being her torn to shreds and eaten as the Beowolves' next meal. '_Yeah, not happening...'_

Releasing a contented sigh, Ruby watched as the puff of warm condensation escaped her lips; then, folding Crescent Rose back into its rifle form, she slung it from her back and pulled her scroll from the inner pocket of her coat. Snapping a few pictures of the fallen pack as proof of their defeat, she saved them in a file for her future report before slipping it back into her jacket.

Throwing her arms high above her head, Ruby arched her back and groaned as it gave a satisfying crack, releasing some of the tension in her overworked muscles. She had been Hunting for nearly four weeks straight, taking most jobs other Hunters didn't want, simply because of how far they allowed her to travel. She had always wanted to see the world, and now she was. Fortunately, the few classes she took that year were self-study, meaning the only requirement she had would be to turn in her final projects at the end of the semester.

It also came with the added benefit of allowing her to stay off-campus for as long as she liked; which, considering all that had taken place, had her even more determined to jumpstart her career towards becoming an elite-class Huntress. She would become the best of the best; it had been her dream for years and she had already given so much in order for it to work out… and she would not let her sacrifices go to waste.

'_Weiss...'_ The name jolted through her mind like a bolt of lightning, startling the Huntress into stumbling from her spot. '_Ugh, shut up brain. You have one of the most important jobs in the world… now is not the time for this!'_

Grumbling in quiet frustration, Ruby threw a cursory glance about the forest; ensuring that all was as it should be, she headed east towards the village. It would be night soon and she was in unfamiliar territory, a less than favorable situation for any person - civilian _or_ Hunter alike. Luckily, the local inn had plenty of available rooms and, as her stomach growled in protest, she hoped the tavern would have a warm meal too.

* * *

The smacking of lips and the sound of loud munching hung heavy in the air.

"That, quite possibly, is the _single _most disgusting thing I have ever seen..." Her face was a mixture of revulsion and unbridled horror; eyes wide and her brows twisted in a confused sort of way, the upper corner of her lip twitching minisculely with irritation. "How you put up with such barbaric behavior, I will never know…" Weiss stated plainly, shooting a glance at the dark haired woman beside her.

"It… it's complicated, okay?" Blake meekly defended, resting an elbow upon the wooden dining surface and hiding her face behind an open palm. Even in the privacy of their own apartment, her girlfriend's horrendous table manners shamed her; she _really_ needed to sign her up for a cotillion course one of these days…

Across the table, Yang noisily devoured her meal, as if it were the last thing she would ever eat; slurping her hot soup like some inhuman vacuum cleaner and cramming bits of bread with melted butter into her maw between gulps. She consumed a meal that had taken hours to cook and prepare in a matter of minutes, and when she had finished, she immediately asked for seconds.

"Slow it down," the Faunas warned, ladling more soup into her bowl. "I spent a lot of time making this, y'know. It would be nice if you actually took the time to taste it."

"What? I'm hungry! I haven't eaten since this morning!" Yang replied, though it came out as more of a muffled jumble of odd words and syllables. She was usually better behaved, but when the gas tank ran empty, she became almost unbearable in her quest to refill; the downside to her naturally monstrous strength being that her metabolism was constantly on overdrive.

"I can't watch this anymore," the heiress sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and looking away in disdain. "I will be in the sitting room if you need me." Grabbing her mug of tea, Weiss retreated from the kitchen dining table and made her way into the next room over.

"Idiot!" Blake hissed, smacking the blonde upside the head once their teammate was completely out of earshot."We invited her to have dinner with us so that we could help her out with her situation, and _what do you do?_ You're supposed to _talk_ to her, not scare her away with your eating habits!"

Yang stopped mid-bite, the spoon held inches from her open mouth as droplets of broth fell from the curved surface back into her bowl. Blake gave her a meaningful look, jerking her head in the direction that Weiss had gone, and she groaned; she _knew_ that look. It meant that Blake would get her way, no matter the cost.

"Why _me_?" she protested, placing her utensil down.

"Because you're Ruby's sister; you can talk more freely about her without it sounding like its being forced," the Faunas remarked, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. "Besides, if you don't do what I say... then you won't be getting _any _nookie tonight."

Yang was out of her chair faster than a horse at the races. "That's cheating and you know it," she growled, before disappearing around the side of the wall. "Sooo~! Weiss, whatcha doing?" she asked, perhaps a tad too sweetly, as she plopped down onto the couch beside her white haired teammate.

"You have noodles hanging from your mouth," Weiss replied shortly, without looking up from the random magazine she had found on their coffee table.

"I-... uh, thanks," Yang mumbled, awkwardly licking her lips and wiping at it with the back of her hand. "Anyway, what are you reading?"

"Its an article comparing the differences between Dust powered rounds and regular ammunition," she answered briskly, taking a sip of her tea before flipping the page.

"Huh, sounds like a good read," the brawler nodded, feigning interest.

Weiss was sorely tempted to retort with a harsh, 'Do you even _know how _to read?' but thought better of it; Yang, just as everyone else in their group, had grown on her over the years and she was sincerely trying to cut back on her more derogatory remarks; old habits just died hard. Instead, she 'hmm-ed' softly in return and continued reading, silently wondering when it would be appropriate for her to leave without appearing rude.

Yang, however, was slightly grateful for the silence, as it gave her extra time to consider her options; just like Blake - and the others as well - she too was beginning to grow worried about Weiss. She may have been the heiress to the most economically powerful family in the kingdom, but she was still only a young woman; more importantly, she was a young woman whose best friend had separated from her nearly a month ago, and for the first time since they'd met.

Staring down, the brawler twiddled her thumbs; she was anxious to ask Weiss how she was doing, but even being the social butterfly that she was known to be, Yang had difficulties with the more emotional aspect of conversations. She really, _really_ didn't want to make it uncomfortable - or at least, any more uncomfortable than it already was - but she also didn't want to be insensitive about any of the issues. But then again, sensitivity was not exactly one of her strong points..

'_Gah! Why is this so hard? I mean… what if she cries!?'_ Yang gulped in apprehension, running a hand through her long, golden tresses and scratching nervously at her scalp. She could handle crying, _honestly_, she could… but Weiss crying? That was something entirely different, and on a whole other level of strange and weird…

Still, Blake was essentially blackmailing her into asking and making sure that Weiss was okay… plus, they were friends too, and she genuinely _did _care for the other girl's well being…

'_Well… here goes nothing!'_ Yang thought, bracing herself for the backlash.

"So, speaking of Dust and ammunition, how are things going for you without Ruby?" she blurted out, cringing as she heard a glass break somewhere on the other side of the wall; Blake had undoubtedly heard her, and was now most likely planning ways to punish her for her obvious lack of tact. '_Guess no nookie tonight,'_ she sighed to herself, patting the worn cushion of their sofa fondly. '_Hello old friend, we meet again...'_

Weiss, upon hearing the blonde's unexpected question, stiffened at her words; her bright blue eyes, previously sharp with focus, dulling as she was reminded that Ruby was gone - _had been gone_, and for quite some time now.

"Err… okay, that didn't exactly come out as I intended," Yang mumbled, blanching as she heard a soft "_You think so!?"_ from her partner in the kitchen. "What I meant to say is that… uh, that… alright, fine. So maybe I _did _mean to say it, but I... not like that…"

"No, I get it…" Weiss replied, softly. "I understand… you're worried." She could see it in the way their friends looked at her; the way they passed glances when they didn't think she would see.

Yang frowned, "... everyone is."

"I'm fine," she answered, automatically; it had become her go-to response over the years, and she quickly fell back on it when confronted with a conversation she really would rather not have. But for the sake of appearing as 'fine' as she claimed to be, she continued, "Really, I am. I'll be honest and say that it _has_ been quieter without her around, but-..."

"You're allowed to say that you miss her," Yang interrupted, reaching out and placing a comforting hand atop Weiss' shoulder. "Its not illegal to say, y'know. I mean, I know how it feels… she's my younger sibling, after all, but I always knew that when she grew up she would want to spread her wings and venture out into the world. So I sort of always expected her to leave… even knowing that, it isn't any easier… and as jealous as I am to admit this, you and Ruby are closer than she and I. She will always be my baby sister, but you're her _best friend_ and I know that this is harder for you than it is for the rest of us."

"I…" Weiss paused, holding her breath for several long seconds before releasing it in a heavy sigh. "I… do… miss her," she finally admitted, though hesitantly. "But she and I both have our own things now… Ruby is determined to become the greatest Huntress that she can be, meaning she'll be gone a lot. And I've already accepted my family's terms; I'm set to head the local division here in Vale after graduation…"

The blonde grimaced at the revelation, but her gaze softened; she could only imagine what sort of turmoil raged within the heiress at that very moment. '_Why does everything surrounding these two always have to be so damn complicated? Why can't they just kiss already and ride off into the sunset like in one of those cheesy books Blake reads! Ugh, right, nevermind… one of them is the Schnee heiress, and the other is my idiot of a sister with insane hero-complex... I guess we'll just have to take one thing at a time...'_

"I know that this isn't easy, Weiss," Yang went on, "Remember when Blake left that summer after second year, to tie up her loose ends with the White Fang? I hardly knew what to do with myself. When she wasn't there, and no matter what I did, I couldn't stop thinking about her… so I just tried to keep myself as busy as possible. I mean, how do you think I jumped the ranks in combat from sixth to first at the start of third year so quickly?"

Both women shared a small laugh at the memory before Weiss answered, in an attempt to assure the blonde that she was, indeed, okay, "But I _am_ keeping busy. I have written and revised my final paper for Advanced Aura Theory several times now; I have reorganized and labeled my notes for Grimm Anatomy and Physiology; I scrubbed the apartment from top to bottom; I've even begun to read through the necessary paperwork and documentation in preparation for my assignment to the family business..."

Yang shook her head in sympathy. "That's great and all, Weiss, but take this from someone who's been there before… its okay to keep busy. Its perfectly fine to occupy your time with important things and tasks needed to be done, but don't make yourself busy simply for the _sake_ of being busy. It isn't healthy to push away your feelings, and to spend every single waking moment trying to ignore the fact that you miss her."

Locking eyes with the smaller woman, she smiled wistfully and said, "Its okay for you to simply take a moment to sit alone and miss Ruby, even if its for no reason at all. If you miss someone, you miss someone and there should never have to be reason _why _you miss them in the first place. Its _okay _if you _just do_."

"Its… difficult," Weiss sighed, turning away; she hated the thought of how weak she appeared at that moment. "I keep _telling_ myself that its okay, but…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish. She hardly knew what to think anymore when it came to thoughts of Ruby.

"Look, can I ask you something?" Yang inquired, chewing nervously at the bottom of her lip. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see Blake watching from the kitchen, a questioning glint in her amber eyes. '_I already messed up the beginning. May as well go the whole nine yards...'_

The heiress glanced at her blonde teammate curiously, doing a once over of her face to check for any sign of her intentions; when she found nothing but earnest concern, she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. "Of course," she answered, "Go ahead."

"I'm going to ask this very bluntly because I have no idea how else to ask," Yang began, feeling her throat constrict painfully in anticipation. Swallowing the heavy lump that had formed, she continued, "Is it possible that… maybe you have feelings for my sister?"

* * *

"... what? What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer it."

"But-..."

"_Answer_ the question," Blake glared, narrowing her eyes at her scroll, where a live video chat with Ruby played across its screen. "How heavy is this glass?" she asked again, lifting her drink of water.

"Is… is this one of those 'glass half-empty, glass half-full' things?" Ruby asked, squinting at the image from her side of the screen. "Because if you're going to get all philosophical on me, then I'd really just like to go to sleep. Its been a long day and I have another Hunt tomorrow morning in a town twenty miles south of here."

"Ooh, what is it this time?" Yang cut in, her head popping into view from behind Blake's shoulder.

"Apparently, a Nevermore has been flying overhead lately and leaving uh… _gifts _behind," she replied with a grimace, "The latest one crushed a house and killed the owners' dog…"

Both women cringed as her older sister cried, "Sounds like a real _shitty_ job!"

"Ha-ha, very funny," Ruby sighed, massaging her temples. "But seriously, can I just go to bed? I'm really tired. I only got three hours of sleep last night and even if I fall asleep right now, I'll only get four tonight. And I need to leave before sunrise if I want to get there by noon, which is apparently its habitual 'go time'..."

"I'm trying to make a point, so please, just answer the question," Blake replied, scowling as Yang made a gagging noise in the background. "Or else I'm just going to keep calling you all night until you do."

Groaning into her hands, the younger woman mumbled, "Your girlfriend is so demanding, Yang…"

"Yeah, _tell me_ about it!" the blonde piped in, before shrinking back as said girlfriend shot her a dirty glare. "Uhm… I have to go back to the couch now. Call me when you get to the town tomorrow, so I know you made it there okay."

"Y'know, I'm not a little kid anymore," Ruby replied, lifting her head. "I can take care of myself without having to check in with you every day."

"I don't care if you're fifty, married, and with kids… you'll be calling to check in with me every day for the rest of your life!" Yang stated, raising her arm and jerking a thumb in her direction. "Because that's what big sisters do!"

It was silent on the other line for several seconds, time passing at a painfully slow crawl, before Ruby turned and faced Blake. "If I answer your question, will she leave?"

"W-wha-... why, you-...!" she spluttered indignantly, staring at the screen of her younger sister.

"Couch, _now_," Blake ordered, pushing Yang out of their bedroom. After several threats, many pouts, and a few bribing kisses, the cat-eared woman finally got the blonde to leave. "Okay, she's gone. Now answer my question," she said, taking her seat back on the bed.

"Fine, uh… can I see it again?" Ruby asked, rubbing tiredly at her forehead. As Blake lifted the glass for her to see, she answered, "That's a standard eight ounce glass, but its only three-fourths full… added to the weight of the glass itself, then I'll say… fifteen ounces?"

"That's a fairly accurate guess… but to be honest, it doesn't actually matter," the Faunas answered, earning another frustrated groan from her younger teammate.

"Then _why_ are you asking?"

"Because its _important_," Blake replied, sipping the water before setting down on the nightstand. "Just hear me out before you cancel the call, okay?"

"I'll give you five minutes, but then I _really_ need to get some sleep," she mumbled. "Please, whatever it is that you're trying to say… just say it."

She said it quickly. "Weiss accepted her family's terms."

If Ruby was surprised by the news, she did well to hide it. "I knew she would," was her only reply, her voice plain and even.

"And that doesn't bother you?" Blake pushed, raising a single brow in question. "Not even the slightest bit?"

"Why should it?" Ruby countered, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. "I know Weiss better than any of you. Being a Schnee is the pride of her life, and nothing could get in the way of that… not even becoming a Huntress was enough for her."

"... but you could," said the older woman, quietly.

"I could? I could _what_?"

"You could _be enough_… for _her_," Blake insisted, her piercing golden eyes staring straight into Ruby's strained silver."We had her over for dinner tonight… she misses you, y'know… a lot. And I know you miss her too."

There was a tightening in her chest as Blake said those words, Ruby's mouth feeling unusually dry as she licked her lips; it was a nervous habit of hers, and one she shared with her sister Yang. It was how the Faunas knew she had made the sort of impact that she had intended, and she gave a silent cheer at the small victory.

"Remember the glass?" she continued, lifting it up once more. "I said the weight of it doesn't matter. It could be five ounces or five pounds, the physical weight will never change. What really matters is how long you hold onto it. If I hold it and set it down, it doesn't bother me. If I hold it for ten minutes, its going to become uncomfortable, and if I hold it for an hour, my arm will hurt. If I hold it any longer, say a day, or a week… months and years… it will eventually become too much for me to handle."

"Again, its not the actual weight of the glass that counts; that will never change. But the longer I hold it, the heavier it will become. Its the same thing with your feelings, Ruby. You're a great leader, and an ever greater friend; you always took the brunt of everyone's burdens, and no matter how much it bothered you, or made you hurt… you took it without complaint. But are you really going to take this too? Are you really going to let… whatever there is between you and Weiss, go? You didn't even try to fight for it! You just accepted it and walked away, but its only going to get harder the longer you let this go on…"

"O-okay… just wait one minute; _timeout_," the teen pleaded, stumbling slightly over her words as she waved her hands in the universal sign of 'stop' and 'slow down'. "Why are you even _telling_ me this? I don't even… understand where this came from. Did anything happen with Weiss when she was over or something? More importantly, why are you implying that there's anything more than friendship between us..."

"That part isn't for me to say," Blake informed regretfully, averting her gaze; lest she give away too much. She and Yang had interfered enough as it was, but the two younger women were so painfully stubborn; they needed _at least_ a nudge in the right direction.

Ruby sighed sharply, almost huffing in her exasperation. "I… appreciate your concern, or whatever this was… but its late and I'm tired. If you can't tell me, then… I just want to go to sleep. Please? I'm not trying to be rude, but..." Her shoulders sagged; she was too tired to even sit upright properly.

Blake could see dark bags under Ruby's eyes, her naturally pale complexion even lighter than it normally was; she really did look exhausted. '_She's been pushing herself way too hard...'_ "You're right, you need your rest," she conceded, releasing a tired sigh of her own. "But at least think about what I've said?"

"Yeah, of course," Ruby promised, stifling a yawn behind her hand. "I'm still not exactly sure what you were implying, but I was glad to hear from you."

"You should call more often," Blake said, smiling softly.

"Mhm, well… you can tell Yang I'll give her a call tomorrow when I reach the next town, and-..."

"You should give Weiss a call too," she interjected. "You haven't spoken with her since you left and she really does miss you."

A guilty look flashed across Ruby's face; another victory, in Blake's eyes. "I'll… see if I have time. Lots to do y'know!" Her lips were raised in a fake smile, a humorless chuckle making its way from her throat. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep now. Take care of yourself! Goodnight."

Blake had barely replied with a 'Goodnight!' of her own before Ruby ended the call and threw her scroll across the bed, heart pounding as if she'd barely escaped the jaws of death itself. That conversation had been far too close for comfort…

Shaking her head to rid herself of any lingering thoughts, Ruby rolled over onto her side and buried her face into a pillow. The room she had rented was small and quaint, with nothing more than a desk, a twin sized cot, and an adjoining bathroom; not much, but it was all she needed for a one-night stay. Shutting her eyes, she attempted to fall asleep; her mind was foggy, eyes like heavy lead, and on most nights she would have been out like a light.

This was not one of those nights.

As Ruby tossed and turned in the sheets, struggling to find peace with her warring thoughts, her mind wandered to the short conversation she had had with the innkeeper earlier that evening.

"_Welcome, how can I-... oh, you're a Huntress, aren't you? Wonderful!" the elderly woman smiled, a pleased expression written across her wrinkled face. "We don't get many of you around these parts because of the terrain. Our men do a good enough job of keeping the Grimm away, but it is so nice to have a professional around! Maybe now, my chickens won't go missing in the middle of the night!" She let out a shrill of laughter at that, as if it were some inside joke between the two of them._

_Ruby laughed politely along with her, grinning good-naturedly as the woman patted her arm. "No matter the distance or the difficulty, its my job to serve and protect," she stated, with a kind smile. _

"_And I'm sure you do a fine job of it! Now, you'll be wanting a room, no doubt?" When she nodded, the innkeeper turned around and pulled a random key off one of the many hooks lining the backwall of their reception desk. "You can take room five. Its just down the hall - that way, dear."_

"_Thank you," the Huntress replied, taking the offered key. "Is it alright if I pay my bill now? I'll be leaving rather early in the morning and I'd feel better knowing I'd paid to you directly, rather than leaving my lien on the counter for anyone to take."_

"_Such a responsible girl you are," the older woman commented, accepting Ruby's money and writing off her tab on a ledger. "And so young too! Most Hunters I see around here are of the older generation; they don't like having to compete for jobs with the younger folk from the big city. Is that where you're from?"_

"_Yeah, I'm from the city region. I'm actually a fourth year at Beacon Academy," she replied, counting the change that had been handed back to her. _

"_Ah, such a long way from home!" the woman exclaimed, "I'm sure you must miss it!"_

Ruby hadn't said anything in return; she'd only smiled and waved in parting before heading down the hall to her appointed room. She didn't want to say it aloud, afraid to lose her resolve should she confirm what she had tried so desperately to ignore; but here, in the dark, with no one else to hear her fears… she admitted it.

"I miss home," she whispered, eyes wandering to the window, where she could just barely see the stars and the moon over the treetops; knowing, somewhere in the distance, the place she wanted to be was just too far out of reach. "... I miss _her._"

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I have a very high-stress job with odd work hours and I'm also chronically ill, so I haven't been up for writing as of late. I finally managed to get through this chapter though, so I hope it was worth the wait. I also apologize in advance if its not up to my usual standard; I've been so exhausted lately, but I did my best and I hope it paid off. **

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and the positive feedback, especially on the title change. I'm glad no one was opposed to it. Please keep your reviews and comments coming; I love hearing feedback and I enjoy knowing what my readers think. You guys truly make writing that much more worthwhile. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**First Comes Love: Chapter 8**

"Yang, would you mind grabbing the paper?"

"Hmm? Oh, yup!" Gulping down her last bit of toast and eggs, Yang slid from the chair and carried her dishes to the sink. Giving them a quick rinse, she loaded them into the dishwasher before heading out of the room and towards the front entrance. Unlatching the safety chain and unlocking the door, the blonde bent down and snatched the newspaper from the mat.

"Huh… this is interesting," she mumbled, lilac eyes darting across the front page as its headline caught her attention. Securing the door, she made her way back into the kitchen.

From the pantry, Blake's voice could be heard over the sound of rustling, "What is?"

"The Vytal Festival starts on Friday, and the tournament this coming Monday," she announced, reclaiming her seat at the dining table. "I completely forgot Vale would be holding it again this year."

"Really? And you thought the streets were being blocked and tents set up for what then…?" her partner teased as she exited the small food closet, having found her extra stash of black tea. Silently, she reminded herself to buy more on their next grocery run. Grabbing the kettle off the stove, the Faunus reached for the sink and patiently filled the container with water.

"We're like a month off graduation, okay? I had other things to worry about," Yang grumbled defensively. Licking her thumb, she rifled through the pages in search of its' corresponding articles, wanting to read more on the upcoming event. "Do you think you'll enter?"

"Enter what? The tournament?" Blake replied, as she lit the burner and set the kettle down; with that taken care of, she took the spot next to Yang and peered over her shoulder. "I'm not sure… I don't think so," she admitted. "It was fun when we were first starting out, but I'm not really that into competitive dueling anymore. Besides, my entrance exam for the college is coming up soon and I'd like to focus a little more on that."

"Oh, yeah… I almost forgot about that too," the brawler grinned, throwing an arm around Blake's shoulder and pulling her close, before smacking a kiss against her cheek. "My Blakey is going to college! Smart _and_ badass… I knew I loved you for a reason!"

"You love me because I'm the only person crazy enough to put up with you," she remarked bluntly, though it was negated by the twin grin upon her own lips. Although she had cut ties with the White Fang long ago and had found a new calling in Hunting, Blake had never truly given up her aspirations as an equal rights activist. She knew that it would never completely atone for what she had done under the group's flag, but the Faunus sincerely hoped to breathe new life into an old passion. And she promised to do it _right _this time around; she had enrolled in the local college, would take the necessary courses for her degree, and then hopefully work her way up from there.

It was a solid plan, and one she was quite proud of.

She was brought out of her reverie by the sudden, high pitched whistle of the kettle, signifying that the water for her tea was ready. Getting up, she grabbed a mug from the upper cabinets and placed her tea bag on the bottom before pouring the still boiling water over it, watching as the dark blend of herbs and spices bled out. While it steeped, she took a lemon from the fruit bowl and began slicing it into wedges, nearly cutting off her own finger as Yang gave an unexpected cry of surprise moments later.

"_Gods_, Yang… what was that for?" she asked, silently thanking whatever nameless deity that had come up with the concept of self-protecting aura; after all, she rather enjoyed having all her digits intact.

"Sorry," she apologized, though it was said as an automatic response, being too distracted by the paper. "You… uh, you may want to take a look at this when you get the chance."

"Why? What does it say?" Her brows raised in a questioning manner as she turned to face the blonde.

"Its an article about Weiss… '_A Schnee Celebration!'_" she read aloud, lips tugging downwards in a small frown. "Apparently her family is throwing some sort of gala on the opening night of the festival. It will serve as her debut as the next Chief of Operations for their Vale headquarters, and an early celebration for her upcoming graduation. All the big-name businesses and their families will be there..."

"What? Are you sure? Weiss Schnee… as in _our_ Weiss?" Blake asked, nearly recoiling in her own shock.

"Well, unless you actually know someone else with the same name, who also attended Beacon in our year, and is the heiress to a multi-billion lien company… then yes, this is _our_ Weiss," Yang replied, nodding her head as extra confirmation.

Fixing her tea, Blake sat back down. "Hand it over," she demanded, holding her hand out expectantly.

Yang folded the paper and was halfway through handing it to her when she was struck by an idea, quickly retracting the material and grinning playfully. "You want the paper?" she asked, "Then you're going to have to give me something in return."

Blake sighed at her girlfriend's childish behavior, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. "Oh, really now?" she retorted, one brow raised high - as if daring Yang to actually try and pull something. "And what would that be?"

"A kiss!" the blonde Huntress cheered, puckering her lips and tapping a finger over them.

Golden eyes rolled in their sockets in a show of annoyance as Blake sighed and shook her head. "You're ridiculous, you know that?" she mumbled, leaning forward to grant Yang her wish. Yang, thinking she had won, leant closer to claim her prize, only to be met by her partner's hand instead. In that split second of confusion, the Faunus snatched the paper from her grasp and pulled it open, already scouring the article for extra details before the blonde could fully come to terms with her deceit.

"Hey! That wasn't fair!" Yang whined, leaning back and turning away to pout. "You tricked me!"

"All's fair in love and war," Blake answered offhandedly, turning the page. "All's fair…"

* * *

Her lips twitched, the only outward expression of her dwindling patience.

The young man beside her smiled warmly and reached for the nearest dish, scooping a generous helping of that night's roast beef. "Would you care for a second helping, Ms. Schnee?" he asked, glancing expectantly at her plate as he awaited an answer.

"Thank you, but no," she replied tersely, barely able to repress the aggravation from her voice. "And please, settle down. I appreciate the gesture, but it isn't necessary that you serve me."

"Oh, but I insist!" he persisted, setting down the beef and reaching for another plate. "A beautiful young lady, such as yourself, should never find the need to lift her hand. It is my sincerest pleasure to assist you. Now, perhaps you would like some more asparagus? Or the creamed potatoes? I found its smooth texture simply divine; you must pass on my regards to your chef for preparing such a fine meal!"

"I will remember to do so," Weiss answered, gritting her teeth; beneath the table her hands twitched, as if begging to catapult this latest nuisance away courtesy a well-placed glyph. "And again, thank you, but no. I am quite full and do not wish to eat any further, should I upset my stomach."

It took some time, but he finally took the hint and relented, allowing Weiss her first breath of fresh air that night. "Understandable," he spoke, nodding firmly. "You are as delicate as you are beautiful. I would not want to cause you any form of discomfort."

'_Then go away!' _she thought, her inner voice laced with loathing. '_If you care so much for me, as you claim to do, please! Honor this one wish and be gone!'_ For the past forty five minutes, Weiss had been forced to endure the company of the latest addition to her family's ever growing list of potential suitors for her. Three years her senior, the man was the eldest son of the Finanz family, whose bank secured the Schnee family's massive fortune.

With the arrival of the Vytal Festival later that week, her father had temporarily moved their family from the Schnee estates to the luxurious, penthouse suite atop The Grand Vale, which they had rented out to accommodate the various guests for the gala. The Finanz family had arrived earlier the previous week, and her father insisted the families dine together each night; to better acquaint their children and build better business relations.

Weiss had quickly grown to dread those dinners.

The Finanz son, while well-meaning she supposed, treated her as an inept child, or an invalid at best. He constantly hovered over her, whirling about like a helicopter with the way he moved to make her plates, or how he called servants to refill her water; things she was perfectly capable of doing herself. It took all her willpower and more for the Huntress to suppress her aura from exploding in a fit of rage; even more so for her to stop herself from taking Myrtenaster and skewering him like last night's kebab.

"Aren't they sweet?" her mother cooed, from further down the table. "He is so doting of her! Such a fine, young gentleman you have raised… and handsome too! The grandchildren would be absolutely lovely!"

"Oh, yes," his mother agreed, the two women giggling together like a bunch of schoolgirls. "His hair and her eyes… simply adorable!"

"Mother, please," Weiss insisted, her cheeks flushing angrily at the implication.

Mistaking the pinkish tint for a blush, the son smiled and came to her defense. "Please, Mother… Mrs. Schnee… it is much too early to speak of such heavy-handed remarks. We have yet to even officially court," he said, before turning to the heiress and continuing, "But, as we are on the topic, I would have to say that I agree. We would have beautiful children, though I'd prefer they have _her_ hair and _my_ eyes." He winked once for added effect.

The mothers continued their giggling fit, something rather unbefitting of women of their status, while the fathers looked on and nodded approvingly. Weiss nearly gagged at the spectacle but held her composure, silently counting down the remaining minutes until dinner was over and she would be free to leave.

"You know, it still amazes me that she is a Huntress," the lady Finanz commented, taking a sip of her champagne. "Such poise and beauty, and from a good family; you are far too above such a station. As noble as a profession it is, Hunting is better left for the lower tiers of society. It gives them something useful to contribute to the world, if you know what I mean."

"They're good people," Weiss spoke, a defiant glint in her azure eyes. "They're honest and hard working, and they risk their lives on a daily basis so that spoilt people like you and me can sit here and dine comfortably, lavished upon in the lap of luxury. They are some of the best people you can meet and they deserve far more respect than you or many others give them credit for!"

"_Weiss_," her father warned, an obvious look of disapproval on his features; he seemed ready to lecture her then and there on proper speech etiquette.

Once again, the Finanz son leapt to her rescue. "Oh, no. Mr. Schnee," he quickly interjected, before any harsh words of reprimand could be said. "With all due respect, sir, but I believe your daughter is correct. It is the Hunters, after all, who safeguard our kingdoms and hold the darkness of Grimm at bay. They are everyday heroes, and we would do well to show them their efforts are appreciated. "

Mr. Schnee's jaw clenched, and for a tense moment, Weiss feared he would say something against the younger man; it wasn't that she particularly cared for him, but no one deserved her father's stern remarks. To her surprise, he merely answered, "Be as that may, my daughter should know her place and know not to speak out against her betters."

"Perhaps you are right, but I find such a strong, opinionated woman to be… rather _endearing_," the son replied, smiling down once more at her. That seemed to placate Weiss' father and he returned to his conversation with the Finanz patriarch, though not before shooting his heir another look of warning.

'_Kill me, kill me now.'_ As much as it pained her to admit, Weiss now owed her dining partner a debt of gratitude for his timely save. "Thank you," she murmured softly, patting his arm in a one-time show of affection. That, of course, only seemed to embolden the man, and she spent the rest of the evening listening to him boast of his time at university and his many travels abroad.

The dinner's conclusion came an eternity later, and by the time the Finanz family had bid their final farewell, Weiss was ready to bolt for the door. She _needed_ to get away, just steps from being driven to the brink of insanity. It was maddening to think that she had spent seventeen years of her life in the company of such high-strung, arrogant individuals - even having been one herself - before life at Beacon had opened up her eyes. Now, she could barely stand to be in the same room as these people.

Having been forced to stay with her family during their time in the City, Weiss managed only a hasty 'good night' before she rushed down the long hall towards her appointed quarters. As soon as the doors closed behind her, the heiress pulled apart the tight bun the stylist had forced her hair into and readjusted it to her normal, off-center ponytail. Then, pushing open the doors to her balcony she stepped out, the cool night air hitting her warm cheeks in a chilly greeting.

Closing her eyes, Weiss angled her head upwards to the darkening sky and took several deep, soothing breathes; it was as if she had been suffocating all night, and was only now getting her fair share of oxygen. It felt good to be out, away from the nearly claustrophobic confines of her family's penthouse; away from the pressures and expectations that awaited her.

'_Was this all a mistake?'_ she asked herself, leaning forward to rest her arms against the railing of wrought iron. '_Did I make the right choice in choosing my family's legacy over my own desires?'_ Weiss could barely handle one evening with these types of people; how would she go about it for the rest of her life? Weeks had passed since she'd given in to her family, and the snowy haired woman was already having serious regrets; but was it too late to change her mind?

Several times she had contemplated contacting Ruby to come and bail her out. They could run away together, to the far corners of the world, where her Semblance of speed could outrun anyone her family sent after them. '_Oh, don't be so ridiculous,'_ she told herself, scoffing at the mere suggestion, despite the heavy blush upon her cheeks.

It was difficult for the heiress to describe the exact moment that she had realized her feelings for Ruby went beyond the platonic. She had admitted that she loved the younger woman many times already - mainly to herself - but it was hard for her to grasp the concept of actually being _in _love. When had it begun?

Weiss would be the first to admit that their initial meeting was anything but pleasant, and in the beginning, it was safe to say that there had been absolutely _nothing _there. When she and Ruby had chanced to meet on the main avenue that first day of school, she could vaguely remember thinking something along the lines of, '_How could someone so awkward and clumsy have possibly gained acceptance to a school as prestigious as Beacon? This must be some sort of mistake...'_ After their near fatal encounter, she had passed the girl off as little more than a fluke in the system and quickly left.

When they'd met in the forest the very next day, Ruby's face a mask of insecurity and eagerness to please, Weiss hadn't said a word; she'd simply spun on the heel of her boot and walked away, stalking through the thick layer of brush in search of a better option. When she stumbled across Jaune not moments later, she decided having Ruby for a partner couldn't be _all _that bad. It would take a long time for her to realize this, but that - quite possibly - had been the single greatest decision she had made in her life up until that point.

Nevertheless, it was a rocky start for the two; Weiss had felt nothing but a mixture of anger, irritation, and a mild amount of jealousy for the young girl that had not only become her partner, but her leader as well - and she had no issues with voicing her displeasure. The way Ruby constantly flinched beneath her harsh gaze only served to further infuriate her, and in her eyes, the girl was simply unfit to lead. But then Professor Port had set her straight, and things began to change…

When she approached Ruby later that night, Weiss was unable to stop herself from wondering; could she have possibly hurt the teenager's feelings with her constant outbursts of anger? And if so, how badly? The leader of Team RWBY seemed to give off an air of nonchalance, pouting over stern remarks and grumbling about being scolded, but quickly brushing it off and continuing on as if nothing could touch her. They had barely been friends at the time - more like strangers linked together by the cruel chains of fate - so she couldn't have known, and she had always secretly been too ashamed to ask.

Even then, she could still remember the grateful look in Ruby's eyes as she handed her the cup of coffee, and although it was never said out loud, both girls knew what it signified. It was less about keeping her awake and more about an offering of peace between the two; a silent promise to give each other their absolute best. It had been a bit of a blow to her pride, to admit that she had acted so childishly, but in the end it was well worth it. She had come out of it with a new friend - a _best _friend - and nothing in the world could have taken that away from her; she never wanted to lose that.

But she almost did.

Nearly six months ago, at the start of fourth year, Ruby had _died_; multiple times, in fact; once in her arms and twice on the operating table. When the doctors informed them that their leader was not expected to survive, Yang had wailed loudly in despair and threw herself into Blake's embrace; she, on the other hand, had said nothing. Not at first, anyway.

Weiss distinctly remembered the heavy silence that permeated the waiting room as her teammates and friends sat together, consoling one another the best they could. Yang lay, curled into Blake's side as she did her best to dry her tears; Jaune held Pyrrha's hand, his thumb rubbing the simple gold band around her ring finger; Ren tried to make Nora laugh; and she… she had sat alone. It was a silly notion, but she held onto the belief that the bond between her and Ruby had been too strong to break; that if Ruby were _truly _dying, she would have _felt _it; she would have felt the life of her most precious person slipping away… little by little.

She knew then that she loved her - as she had loved all her friends - but was she _in love_ with Ruby? It had hurt to realize that she may never have the chance to find out…

One could describe it as denial, but she had never been sure what exactly she had felt that night; to some extent, yes, it was denial. But more prevalent than that was the deep sense of regret - for being so severe with her in the beginning, for always giving her a hard time; and then later for allowing herself to get so close to the girl - despite her initial misgivings - without letting her know just how much she truly meant to her.

When Ruby awoke, three terrifying days later, she had been torn by indecision; half of her wanted to pounce the girl and hug her for all she was worth, while the other half wanted to smack her silly for making her worry. All of her, however, silently wept with relief. Weiss had spent those three days struggling to come to terms with the very possible death of her friend, and while she could imagine a future without Ruby, she absolutely hated what she had seen.

But then Ruby reached out and took her hand, and nothing else mattered; all the anguish she had experienced simply vanished, and the look in her silver eyes had made her own heart stop. In retrospect, Weiss knew then that she had fallen for her best friend; somewhere between the first of many cups of coffee and that simple gesture of comfort that had become so familiar, her feelings for the younger Huntress had changed. But it was only now, after weeks of separation, did she truly understand that.

'_I'm such an idiot… why didn't I see this sooner?'_ Life had given her a second chance with Ruby and she had all but spat in its face; she had chosen the path of least resistance, letting her fears decide her fate instead of fighting for what she knew in her heart to be right. She had made the worst of mistakes, and now she would pay for it; if only she had the courage now to tell her how she really felt...

Tears stood in her eyes, but they did not fall; Weiss would never allow herself to be that selfish. Ruby had a job to do, a _dream_ to fulfill, and she would not get in the way of that… just like Ruby would not get in the way of her living up to her family name. If anything, they understood that much about each other.

Still, that didn't make the separation any easier; didn't make the pain any less dull…

"God damn it, Ruby," she whispered, as a soft wind swept by, "I don't know how much longer I can do this without you…"

* * *

The moon stood out against the clear night sky; the massive, shattered white disc glistened over the valley, carving a path towards the dawn of a new day. Silhouetted against its radiant light, Ruby sat on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the shallow valley town that currently held her protection, with one leg thrown over the ledge while the second was pulled tightly against her chest. She had been there for quite some time now, simply waiting and watching to see what would happen.

It was breeding season for the Boarbatusks and nightly battles between competitive males had broken out amongst the local herd; several had already spilt over into the village, and officials had called her in to take care of it before any more damage could be caused - either in terms of property, or more gravely, at the cost of human life. She had tracked down and eliminated the herd earlier that day, following migratory patterns that were common for the region based on its terrain. Still, she waited, refusing to call the Hunt complete until she had seen a night pass without interruption - just as a cautionary measure.

As she pushed herself to her feet, wishing to stretch her legs a bit, Ruby felt a weakness clutch at her and she swayed dangerously for several moments before steadying. Whispering a curse, she retrieved her scroll to check the status of her aura; there had been well over four dozen Boarbatusk in the herd, many of which had been fully-matured males in their prime. It had taken a lot out of her to bring them down, and added to the fact that she had spent the two previous days making the long trek there, she was currently running very low on steam.

'_Damn, I'm still in the yellow... and so close to critical,_' she grimaced, pocketing the device. It was taking an abnormally long time for her to recover her aura, which could only mean that she had finally pushed herself a little too far. She would need to let Cato know that she would not be accepting assignments for the next day or two before she would feel comfortable Hunting again; besides, she had earned a bit of time off, and he had insisted she take it slow anyway.

"It would be nice to sleep in for a change," she murmured, leaning against Crescent Rose. She had gotten ten - maybe twelve - hours of sleep total in the past seventy two hours, and as she felt another wave of exhaustion hit her, she knew a long, long nap would be the very first thing on her short list of to-do's. '_Well, maybe the second_,' she added, as she got a whiff of her own scent; the heavy stench of dried sweat making her nose crinkle in displeasure. _'Shower first, then bed.'_

Reaching into her pouch, Ruby pulled out a small bag of trail mix and popped a few morsels into her mouth; the night had been quiet up until that point, but she would need to keep her strength for the remaining four hours until dawn. Or at least, she hoped it would only be four hours. Any longer, and the Huntress genuinely feared she would collapse on her feet.

_'That would be fun,'_ she mused, sarcastically of course. _'Just fall over the side of this cliff and see what random ditch I wake up in... If I even wake up at all. Yeah, Weiss would definitely love getting that call…'_

Wait... what?

Ruby froze at the sudden realization of what she had just thought, nearly dropping the bag of nuts and dried fruit in her surprise. Why had she assumed Weiss would get the call, should anything happen to her? '_I mean, yeah, of course she would. But after Yang... after my father and Uncle Qrow first,'_ she corrected herself. She seriously needed to stop including Weiss in every single random thought...

A heavy sigh, laced with annoyance, escaped her lips. Three more weeks had come and gone, and, as her long journey neared its second month, the longing for home had only intensified. To make matters worse, Ruby was quickly coming to the terrifying realization that she - quite possibly - was in love with her best friend; something she was just not ready to admit. It was probably the greatest factor that kept her from returning to the City, even for a short visit; she didn't want to have to face the very real possibility that she loved Weiss, and seeing her would only make it that more unbearable. Not to mention how painful it would be to see Weiss' family lining up men and women to meet their daughter...

She didn't even want to _think _about the announcement she had seen in the paper that morning…

'_A Schnee Celebration!'_ had read its front page, the picture of White Castle pasted in the dead center of the columns. The article went on to describe the large gala the Schnee Family had planned for their daughter, to celebrate her upcoming graduation as well as her debut as the next Chief of Operations for their Vale facilities. Furthermore, it was to coincide with the opening ceremonies of the Vytal Festival, as they were the organization's largest sponsor, and it would be a perfect opportunity for the wealthy business families to mingle.

'_Or more subtly, to force Weiss into meeting suitors,'_ she thought, almost bitterly. Another sigh found its way from her, and for several moments, she almost regretted having ever met the other woman. But just as quickly as the thought came, it went; no matter how complicated things had become, she could never resent her time with Weiss. As short as their time together was, Ruby would cherish it, for she had come out of it a better person, with enough memories to last a lifetime.

'_And memories will be all that I ever have,'_ she mused, smiling sadly. '_But… I guess I'm okay with that. She made her choice and I made mine and… I'll be okay. Maybe not now, but I will be...'_

As much as she tried to assure herself that she would be fine, Ruby knew it wasn't true. Weiss had always called her a terrible liar, and for once, she agreed.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet today."

The Huntress sighed as she lay beneath the shade of a wild oak tree, plucking loose bits of grass and watching lazily as the clouds crawled by. Another day had passed, and while her aura was finally beginning to recover, she felt no desire to Hunt; she was just too tired, her body overworked and her mind emotionally exhausted.

"... you were right," she mumbled, readjusting her scroll so she could better see Blake on the other screen. "About the glass… about carrying it for too long…"

Blake gave the younger woman a sympathetic smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ruby bit her lip, chewing anxiously as she struggled to put words to her feelings. "I don't know if I can," she replied, running her free hand through her dark locks. "Its all so confusing…"

"It doesn't have to make sense for you to let it out," the Faunus pushed, gently. "Keeping it to yourself won't do any good, and maybe talking about it will help you clear things up."

"I guess… okay, _fine_. Look…" Ruby began, as she sat up and leant back against the trunk of the tree. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately… and I sort of… I mean, I came to the conclusion… no, I realize that…" Groaning loudly, she tossed the scroll aside and buried her face between her hands.

"Ruby? I can't see you…"

"I can't look at you when I say this!" came her muffled response, as she continued hiding behind her hands. "Just… is it _wrong _if I think I… might be in love with Weiss…?"

If Blake was surprised, she didn't show it - not that Ruby could see anyway, considering she had thrown her scroll into the grass. "And why would that be wrong?" she countered.

"Because… because it just _is_," Ruby whined, lowering her hands as she reached for the device once more.

Blake gave her a level stare, her lips forming a thin line of disapproval. "That's a terrible answer and you know it."

"I don't have any other answer, okay?" the teen grumbled. "I just… I don't… I'm confused, alright? I never thought that I would feel this way about anyone… most of all, about Weiss. She's my best friend and I don't want to ruin that. Everything is just so complicated now!"

"It doesn't have to be that way, Ruby," Blake insisted, exhaling softly. "You have to understand that there's nothing inherently wrong with the way you feel. Love is a natural process of life and you can't just force yourself not to feel it."

"But I don't _want_ to feel it," the younger woman confessed, "I don't want to be in love with her!"

The Faunus rubbed tiredly at her brow. "Why are you being so stubborn about this? Why is it so bad for you to admit that you love her?"

"Because it _scares _me!" Ruby shot back, before her eyes widened in realization. "I didn't say that!" she mumbled, slapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from saying anything else.

"Yeah, no… you said it," Blake answered, pointing towards the top of her head. "Both sets of ears heard it."

"I heard it too!" Yang's voice came from somewhere in the background, making her sister's face flush with embarrassment. A second later, she pushed her way into view, sharing the screen with her now disgruntled looking partner. "Heya, sis!"

"Hi, Yang…" Ruby greeted weakly. "Can you just pretend I didn't say anything?"

"Aw, don't be like that!" the blonde frowned, poking the image of her younger sibling's face. "I'm really proud of you. Its about time you owned up to your feelings!"

"I'm not owning up to _anything_," the younger Huntress persisted, gritting her teeth.

"That's _so cute_," Yang gushed, grinning widely. "She's in denial! That's the first sign of love right there!" A mock sob - or was it real? Ruby couldn't quite tell - escaped her lips. "My baby sister is growing up so fast! Where did the time go?"

Blake growled and shoved her away, taking back control of her scroll and of the conversation. "Get _out _of here, Yang! If you're going to cry, do it somewhere else. I'm trying to have a serious conversation with Ruby right now, okay?" Turning back to her teammate, the Faunus continued, "You have every right to be scared, and there's no shame in admitting it, but you can't avoid it forever. You're going to have to make a decision about it eventually."

Eyes downcast, Ruby was silent for a moment as she processed Blake's words; finally, she looked back up and asked, "... what if I want to stay with her? What am I supposed to do? She's already set up to take over operations in Vale; she'll meet suitors, get married to one of them a few years down the line, and then she'll inherit the business and… it just wouldn't work out. I mean… what could I possibly offer her when compared to a future like that?"

"You know, this would be a lot easier if you actually talked to _Weiss _about it. You have my full support, your sister's too, and we'll be here for you no matter what… but really, this is something only you two can solve together."

"That would involve actually _telling _her how I feel," Ruby groaned, running a hand down her face in frustration. "I don't know if I could handle that… I mean, what if she only loves me as a friend?"

"Your Semblance is speed, Ruby, and running away is sort of your thing. I know that you're just playing it safe by staying away, but you'll never truly know until you see her again. Even if things don't turn out the way you want them to, wouldn't you feel better knowing that you at least gave it a shot?"

"You're right," Ruby conceded, breathing out an airy sigh. "Maybe… maybe I've been running from this for too long."

Blake smiled encouragingly, relieved that she had finally gotten through to the other woman. "So you'll come home then?" she asked, the hope slowly rising from within. It would be good to see Ruby again - in person, that is; her presence had been greatly missed by all who knew her, and especially by one in particular. '_C'mon, Ruby… say yes. Weiss is waiting for you...'_

There was a great pause on Ruby's end, the red-hooded leader having frozen at the mention of returning; it wasn't exactly what she had had in mind, having thought more along the lines of giving Weiss a call. Still, she realized that she couldn't stay away forever, and could use the Vytal Festival as an excuse for dropping by if things went south. Reaching her reluctant conclusion, she nodded.

"Yeah… I guess I'm coming home…"

* * *

**A/N: I apologize again for the wait; it took me awhile to write this, and even after several rewrites, I'm not entirely happy with it. But, it was the best out of the bunch, and I needed some way to get the story moving along. I promise guys... next chapter will make all this emotional-filler chapters worth it. IT will happen soon, okay? Just hang in there with me a little longer!  
**

**Also, a brief heads up. In a little over two weeks I'll be having surgery, so I'm going to try and wrap up this story beforehand. If I don't, expect bit of a wait; sorry guys :(**

**As usual, I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read my story, and I ask if you have a little extra time to please leave a review with any thoughts/comments. Thank you!**


	9. Chapter 9

**First Comes Love: Chapter 9**

It was strange, being home again after so long. As Ruby slung her bag over her shoulder - a worn and faded rucksack that had seen far better days - she carefully made her way down the long aisle of seats, the sudden weight of her return making each step last an eternity. Night had fallen long ago, enveloping the city in a blanket of darkness, permeated only by the harsh yellow lights of the street lamps.

Through the nearly endless expanse of windows, the Huntress could make out a small crowd gathered around the platform, and she smiled as friends and families greeted each other with hugs and kisses, feeling a rush of warmth from within as she witnessed such heartfelt reunions. She had waited in her seat for the majority of the train's passengers to leave before making her way out, and as she finally neared the exit, she paused.

For several moments she simply stood there, wondering what to do. Was coming back really worth it? She hadn't lied when she'd blurted out to Blake that she was scared; this was brand new territory for the team leader, and not something she could just fight away with her scythe - as she was accustomed to doing. A large part of her still said that this was a bad idea, that insisted she climb out the back entrance and steal away onto the next train out of town. The other, smaller, part of her, however, secretly hoped that something good would come out of this.

_'But what exactly am I hoping for?'_ she wondered; she hadn't really stopped to think what would happen after she reconciled with Weiss, too nervous about actually coming back to have thought of anything beyond that.

With lingering doubts, Ruby stepped down from the train and looked around, searching the now thinning group of people for a familiar face. Suddenly, there was an ecstatic cry somewhere in the distance and she felt, more than saw, the oncoming missile that was Yang Xiao Long. She had but seconds to throw up her aura and brace for impact when her eyesight was blocked by a golden mane of curls and the air in her lungs forcibly removed from her body.

"Oh, god! Ruby!" she squealed, lifting the younger woman in her arms and gleefully swinging her around. "I missed you so much!"

Despite the near suffocating strength of Yang's hold, Ruby leant further into her sister's embrace, suddenly unsure of why she had taken so long to return. This alone was enough to settle some of her fears; the anxiety of being left behind once graduation hit vanishing when she realized just how much she had been missed in her extended absence. Nuzzling into the blonde's shoulder, she let out a content sigh, as if finally releasing a long held breath.

"I missed you too, sis..."

"That's completely fine. Just pretend like I'm not here, you two. Really, I'm okay," a playful voice teased.

Quickly disentangling herself from the brawler, Ruby grinned at the amused Faunus before throwing her arms around the older woman and pulling her into a tight hug. "Blake!" she laughed, near giddy; she hadn't felt this happy in so long.

"Welcome home, Ruby," Blake chuckled, returning the embrace with equal affection. "It's good to have you back."

"It's all thanks to you, really," she admitted sheepishly, stepping back. "If you hadn't talked me into coming back, I probably would have stayed out there until graduation, came back for the ceremony, and then jumped ship on the first boat to Atlas..."

"Atlas?" both women repeated, sharing curious glances.

"Er, hehe... yeah," Ruby mumbled, rubbing nervously at the back of her neck. "That was kind of the point of all those Hunts I was taking, to earn enough of a reputation to gain correspondences with job hunters in Atlas... I, uh... I didn't mention that part?"

"_No_," Yang growled, a tick in her eye as she crossed her arms. "Were you seriously going to just leave without saying anything? I mean, you were gone for awhile, but at least you were still in Vale territory. Atlas... that's a long way from home, Ruby."

"She's right," Blake added, a disappointed look in her amber eyes; suddenly, she was extremely grateful that she had managed to convince their leader to return. "It's your life and your career, and we can't really do anything to stop you, but did you at least consider how the rest of us would feel about you going so far?"

"... No," she answered, meekly. "But I haven't made any decisions yet! I swear, it was just something to work towards if..." The crimson clad teen trailed off, averting her gaze as her cheeks flushed lightly.

Yang gave a low whistle. "You really are hopeless!" she grinned, slapping a hand across Ruby's back.

"Y-Yang!" her sister pouted, embarrassed.

Shaking her head with feigned exasperation, the blonde slung one arm around her shoulder and slipped her free hand into Blake's. "Come on, it's getting late. Let's grab a bite to eat and then head back to our place. I got the couch all set up for you and everything."

"You didn't have to do that," said Ruby, as the trio headed towards the street. "I could have just gone to Dad's place. He's still out of town anyway. Or I guess I could go over to the dorm, since Weiss is with her family for now."

"Oh, please," Yang retorted, "As if I'd let my baby sis come back to a dusty, old man-cave or an empty campus apartment. Our place isn't very big, but at least you won't be alone. I mean, god... you were gone for two months. No idea how you did it out there, all by yourself!"

There was a brief tightening in Ruby's chest as Yang said that, and she gave a half-hearted smile in response. She often wondered that herself...

"Anyway, what do you feel like eating?" the older girl continued, oblivious to the falter in her sister's eyes. "A lot of the restaurants have extended hours because of all the tourists in town for the festival, so you pretty much have free pick."

"Something quick, if that's alright," Ruby replied, her stomach rumbling at the mention of food. The train ride had been a day long journey, and while she had prepared herself with snacks and drinks, they were barely enough to tide her over. "How does pizza sound?"

"Ooh, pizza!" Yang agreed, her own stomach thundering with approval, as if answering Ruby's call for food.

Blake laughed at the two sisters, their growl of hunger twice as loud to her sensitive ears. "If anyone doubted that the two of you were related, all they'd have to do was listen to your stomachs," she teased, much to the chagrin of her teammates.

Ten minutes later, the three women found themselves seated in the booth of a local pizza joint, rattling off their order to the server. After he had placed their order to the kitchen and then returned with their drinks, Yang eagerly jumped into conversation.

"So… are you happy to be back?" she asked, distributing the glassware amongst them.

"I'm happy to see you, if that's what you're asking," the younger sister replied, grinning. "But actually being back? I'm still waiting to see if this was all just a big mistake or not."

Rolling her eyes, the blonde reached across the table and bonked Ruby square in the forehead. "Don't be so ridiculous," she laughed, smirking as the scythe-wielder pouted and rubbed the spot she had hit. "You're just supposed to say yes. Don't stress out on the minor stuff."

"This _minor_ stuff?" she retorted, scoffing slightly at Yang's choice of words. "I think you mean _major_. Weiss is my best friend, and I don't want to freak her out or anything. I mean, honestly, I'd rather just have her friendship if it meant keeping her in my life…"

Yang groaned, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "Don't tell me you're chickening out! Wasn't that the whole point of your return? And _hey_, who said you could drink that?" she accused, as Ruby grabbed the pitcher of beer they'd ordered and poured herself a glass. The younger Huntress raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'really?', before tipping back and taking a long swig of the cold, amber colored liquid. "Ugh, I was such a bad influence on you," she sighed, filling her own glass.

"Aw, don't worry," Ruby teased, taking another large gulp in a playful show of spite. "Blake's got you covered on the 'good influence' part." She and the Faunus shared a look, before Blake grabbed the pitcher and topped off her glass, making Yang's glare intensify tenfold.

"Brat," she grumbled, before turning to her girlfriend and adding, "Traitor."

Blake pressed a playful yet apologetic kiss to her cheek, before turning her attention back towards Ruby. "All jokes aside," she began, steering their conversation back on course, "Yang is right. Didn't you come back to confront your feelings for Weiss? I thought you said that you would give it a shot."

Ruby shrugged, a hesitant look reflecting back in her pale silver eyes. "I know…" she sighed, absentmindedly playing with her glass. "But maybe I should just… fix our friendship and enjoy this last month of school with her. Telling her how I feel will just make me a distraction, and she already has so much going on for her. I don't want to be selfish like that…"

Yang's jaw clenched, the corner of her lip twitching as she balled her fists beneath the table. Sometimes, she just couldn't believe how thick headed and stubborn her sister could be. '_Agh! I could just strangle her right about now...'_ she silently seethed. As if sensing her growing frustration, Blake took her hand and squeezed it gently; a reminder to let Weiss and Ruby figure things out on their own.

"Ruby, we talked about this," she said, rubbing her thumb across the back of Yang's hand in a soothing gesture. "You can't avoid your feelings forever. You've said over and over again that Weiss is your best friend, but you're acting as if she'll hate you for telling her how you feel about her. If she really was your best friend - _which she is - _ don't you think she'd be more understanding than that? Shouldn't you at least give her the chance to decide on her own how she feels, before automatically assuming _for her_ that she won't have anything else to say?"

The younger woman opened and closed her mouth, struggling to bring forth words. When nothing came, she slumped against the cushioned backrest, a defeated expression upon her face. "I just want things to go back to the way they were…" she mumbled, quietly. "Everything is so different now…"

The slight annoyance Yang felt quickly melted away at the sight of her sister, so forlorn and confused; it was hard for her to realize that, despite how much Ruby had grown in the past four years, a part of her was still that awkward, lonely fifteen year old who just wanted acceptance and approval. She had always unconsciously vied for Weiss' affection, and now that she was deliberately aware of her feelings, the younger woman was most likely at a loss on what to do.

Getting up from her seat, Yang made her way around the table and sat beside her sister, enveloping the Huntress in a warm embrace. Pressing a kiss to Ruby's temple, she hugged her all the more tightly and said, "Nothing will ever be the same again. When you're in love, there's no going back… but if you allow yourself to go forward, if you give that love a chance… something good could come of it."

"And what if _nothing _comes from it?" Ruby replied, feebly. "What then?"

Yang cast an anxious glance at Blake over Ruby's head, silently asking permission to let her quell her sister's fears; it was tearing her apart, seeing her so distressed. The Faunus discreetly shook her head, silently insisting that it wasn't her place.

Sighing quietly with disappointment, she answered, "Then at least you can say you tried."

* * *

There was an almighty crack as spiderwebs of blue ice crept along the dirt covered floor before exploding upwards into sharp, jutted pillars that gleamed menacingly in the early morning sun. Moments later, a stream of fire, like dragon's breath, erupted from the tip of Myrtenaster's blade and slammed into the thick wall; there was a brief moment of resistance before the Dust-fueled inferno broke through, shattering a large section into a dozen, irreparable pieces. Chunks of ice went sailing by, but she was unphased.

Weiss stood alone in one of Beacon's main training arenas, her rapier a blur of thrusts and slashes as she attacked relentlessly at her imaginary opponent. On her face was a deep look of concentration, eyes narrowed with dangerous intent as she tore into her fake adversary over and over again. Her hair, which had been fixed in its usual sideways ponytail, had nearly pulled apart with how intensely she fought and heavy pants escaped her now chapped lips.

She had been there for nearly two hours now, the large gala she would attend later that night weighing heavily on her mind. Her parents had been 'kind' enough to allow her the day to herself, so long as she returned before sunset, when she would be required to begin readying herself for the ball. Weiss had immediately set a course for Beacon, wishing to physically work out her frustrations of the past few days before it completely drove her insane, having had little outlet for her frazzled emotions since coming to stay with her family.

'_I'm going to lose my mind if I stay there any longer!'_ she groaned, rolling the cartridge of canisters along her sword's hilt towards her favored blue.

Massive, glacial spears formed from Dust and aura, hovering dangerously above the arena before dropping with heavy thuds, piercing deeply into the ground with a shower of dirt and debris. It was almost satisfying, as she secretly imagined the bodies of potential suitors being crushed beneath their heavy weight…

'_Take that, you greedy bas-...'_

"Enjoying some last minute training before the tournament, Ms. Schnee?"

Weiss stumbled at the unexpected voice, losing her balance mid-thrust as she fell forward to the floor. However, she quickly recovered and curled her shoulder into the ground, using her momentum to flip into a forward roll before straightening upwards to her feet.

"Professor Ozpin!" she breathed, sheathing Myretenaster as she dusted herself off and attempted to make herself look more presentable. "I'm sorry, sir. I was unaware that anyone else was here." She quickly undid her hair, smoothing out the clumps and frays with her fingers before hurriedly tying it back together. '_I must look a mess!'_ she lamented, hoping she had done enough to make herself at least halfway decent.

The headmaster repressed an amused smile behind his cup of coffee, sipping the aromatic brew so as to allow her time to compose herself. When he saw that she was finished, he lowered the mug and replied, "I was simply taking a stroll along the grounds when the sound of battle caught my attention. I merely stopped by to investigate who would be training so intensely at such an early hour. My first thought jumped to young Ms. Rose, but from what I know, she has not been on campus for quite some time."

A sharp pang shot through Weiss at the mention of her absent friend, but her expression remained neutral as she answered, "She's been off Hunting for the past few weeks. You know her, sir... always eager for the next adventure."

"Indeed," he nodded, taking another sip from his drink. There was a long moment of silence between the two, and Weiss squirmed uncomfortably at the awkwardness of it all.

After a minute or two had passed, the heiress could barely take it any longer and asked, "Sir? Was there something you wished to speak with me?" '_Honestly, he's just standing there drinking his coffee. Can he seriously get any less creepy...'_ she thought, careful to avoid eye contact with the strange man. He had always been a bit of an odd one, in her opinion.

"On the contrary, I thought perhaps you would have something you'd like to talk about," said Ozpin, as he turned his head to look around the arena. "After all, you _did_ just completely demolish my training field."

Weiss blushed, wincing slightly as she finally saw the devastation she had caused. "I… I'm sorry," she apologized, "I must have gotten too carried away. I was frustrated and throwing a bit of a temper tantrum… I can pay for it."

"I believe 'frustrated' does not do enough justice to my field," he mused, ignoring her offer of monetary reimbursement. "You appear far more troubled than that, Ms. Schnee. If I may, might I guess that this has something to do with the announcement in the paper several day ago? Your ball is tonight, is it not?"

"Yes, professor. The ball is tonight," she confirmed, "But that doesn't bother me, sir. I've attended several dozen of these functions in my lifetime, and it certainly will not be the last."

The silver haired man nodded knowingly, "While that statement holds true, I believe it is more what this event _signifies_, rather than simply having to attend, that bothers you."

Weiss' breath caught in her throat, frozen with uncertainty and apprehension. "Sir?" she murmured, silently asking for further explanation.

"I have seen thousands of students pass through the halls of my school, and many of them go through the same situation as you appear to be going through now," he stated, glancing in her direction from behind his dark tinted glasses. "Of course, the specific details are all different, but the basic foundation is almost always identical."

"What bothers you is not the ball; not your upcoming position within your family's business; not even the future requirement of marriage. What you truly fear is the realization that this part of your life is now coming to an end." He noted the widening of her eyes, and continued, "Do you remember when you first began here, Ms. Schnee? Your first two years involved mostly course study and supervised trips into the field; then you grew up, and by third year, we were beginning to assign you and your partners individual missions. Then, by fourth year, you are almost completely independant of our guidance. This is how we have always done things at Beacon; we gradually build up towards more difficult tasks and responsibilities, because we do not believe in shouldering a great weight upon young shoulders at one single time."

"However, in your parents' opinion, they believe that since you are now an adult, it is time you take on a more adult role..."

"I'm a trained Huntress, sir," she interjected, "I have fought countless of Grimm and patrolled our city's borders numerous times. Why is that not 'adult' enough, not responsible enough? I know that they don't hold Hunters in the highest regards, but it is a vital job in the insurance of human survival."

"You need not convince me of that," he smiled, "But what you think is important and necessary varies greatly from that of your family. What all parents wish… in most cases anyway… is that their children grow up to be safe, secure, and successful. In your case, it is at home and within the company, where you will be properly provided for. Your parents are not as young as they once were, and as they age and begin to face their own mortality, they want to make sure that when they depart, the legacy they leave behind will be taken care of."

"Of course, for you, this feels like it is happening all too fast. You will be graduating Beacon in little more than a month's time, and soon after that, you will be taking your position at the operations facility. You aren't prepared to settle down yet, but because you've given into them, that means, in one way or another, you _do _understand what this means to your family. And, as you slowly come to terms with this, you begin to ask yourself if this is all over."

Weiss stared at the school's headmaster, wide eyed and slack jawed as she ran through all that he had said. '_Its like he can read minds,'_ she thought, before blushing slightly. '_... is he going to say something about Ruby next!?'_

Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he gave her a kind smile and offered one, final bit of advice, "You are an amazing Huntress, Ms. Schnee, and I have had the privilege of watching you and your friends grow into one of our most respectable teams at Beacon. Just know that, no matter what becomes of you in the future, only _you_ can decide what limits and defines you. A great writer once alluded to the fact that our lives are but one long play, merely divided into different acts. The phases of our life are but an illusion, and change is bound to happen; however, it is never truly 'the end' until our own curtain falls."

"Your curtain has not yet fallen, Ms. Schnee. But it is up to you to decide how the rest of your story plays out."

* * *

The cloak in her hands was worn. Tattered and frayed around the edges, several mismatched patches were scattered along its length to conceal old tears, and Ruby smiled fondly as she remembered the many close calls it had brought her. After getting caught up in one too many hazards, the teen had reluctantly retired the cape for her current coat, and had hung it up in her closet for good.

So, why then, had she found it not her in closet - where she had last left it - but sprawled across her bed in place of her normal comforter?

Glancing up from the crimson colored cloth, the Huntress took her first good look around the room. At first glance, it was almost exactly as she had left it; everything was where it should or would be… everything except her cloak. Upon further inspection, she began to notice the more subtle details; she had always stacked her pillows, one on top of the other, but now they lay side by side; her sheets, which were usually untucked near the head of the bed, were tucked in all the way around; most curiously, however, were the one or two threads of _white_ hairs left mostly unnoticed near the headboard.

Had Weiss been _sleeping_ in her bed while she was away?

"But that makes no sense," she mumbled, confused. "I took that side of the room because it got more sunlight in the morning…"

Shaking her head, the Huntress decided she would just ask Weiss about it later. '_When I see her...'_ she added silently, gulping nervously. After sleeping away half the morning, she'd had a bit of a late lunch with Blake and Yang, and then promised to meet them at the festival after she'd cleaned up and gotten a new change of clothes from her apartment. She had only brought along two spare outfits, having wanted to pack lightly, and was now desperate for a fresh set of clothes.

As she opened their shared dresser to grab an undershirt, Ruby paused at the sight of an old shoe box nestled into the corner of the drawer. "That wasn't there before…" she mused aloud, reaching for the container and shaking it gently between her hands. There was a light rustling from within and, curious to see what it was, she hesitantly pried off the top and peeked inside.

"... sticky notes?" she wondered, catching sight of the familiar yellow squares, "Are these…?"

They were. As she tipped the box over, dozens upon dozens of the small paper tags spilled to the floor in a messy heap, each with a small message scrawled neatly across its surface. '_Good morning!'_ each note began, followed by a joke, words of encouragement, song lyrics, or even a small doodle…

"She kept them? After all this time…?" Ruby's heart leapt into her throat, unable to comprehend what any of it all meant. First her cloak, her bed, then the notes… what was going on around here? In the deepest, darkest corner of her being, she dared to hope that it meant Weiss shared her feelings, but the fear within was still too strong. It was obvious from what the others had told her that Weiss missed her, but she was jumping too quickly to conclusions.

"Calm down, Rose," she demanded of herself, reigning in her fluctuating emotions. "Get your clothes and take your damn shower… you'll see her in a few hours and… then you can go wild…" Releasing a sharp, heavy breathe, Ruby quickly cleaned up the mess and did just that.

* * *

"Where the _hell _is she? She was supposed to meet us ten minutes ago!" Yang said, through gritted teeth, as she and Blake pushed their way through the growing crowd. The streets were jammed pack with street vendors and performers, games and various other attractions, each vying for the attention of those that passed by. "I swear to god, if she's on a train out of town right now, I'm going to Hunt her like last week's Ursa den and drag her back kicking and screaming. This is getting beyond ridiculous!"

"Look, there's a lot of people here right now," Blake reasoned, dodging a random merchant spraying 'exotic perfume' into the crowd; her nose crinkled, nearly gagging at the strong scent. "Once we meet up with everyone else and find some seats, _then_ you can start planning your little search party. Until then, have a little faith, okay? I know she was hesitant about all this last night, and we barely managed to bring her back at all… but she wants this just as badly as we want to see it happen. She'll make it."

"I hope you're right," Yang grumbled, reaching for her hand and shouldering a way for them through the mass of people. A little ways away, she could make out the familiar tiara of their favorite 'princess' and fought a path towards the third member of their team. "Hey, Weiss!" she called out, hoping to be heard over the loud chatter. "Weiss!"

Weiss, who had been inspecting the various wares of a jeweler from Vacuo, handed back the necklace she had been handling and looked up to see who had called her. Spotting a bright yellow arm waving at her from somewhere in the crowd, she gave a wave of her own to acknowledge that she had seen, and waited patiently for Yang to drag a disgruntled Blake through the throng of people.

"Glad we caught you!" said the brawler, grinning as she threw an arm around the heiress in greeting. "What're you doing out here? Everyone is supposed to meet up at the arena entrance."

The snowy haired Huntress gave a pointed look at the arm around her shoulder, only replying after Yang chuckled nervously and removed it, saying, "I was just on my way."

"Great, we can all walk together then," Yang nodded, pumping an excited fist. "Just get behind me. I'll get us through!"

She and Blake shared a nervous look; Yang often forgot her own strength, and while that was fine around their normal group of friends - who had plenty of training with aura to protect themselves - regular civilians were a completely different story. Just as she was about to voice her concerns, a gentle wind caressed her sun-kissed cheeks, and Weiss' body went rigid.

Sapphire eyes widened with disbelief, her heart skipping several beats before speeding into a wild frenzy. She _knew_ that movement of air, unnatural and artificial as it was; her aura was practically going haywire as it sensed the return of a long absent presence, her body tingling as her nerves lit on fire.

There was yet another ripple of wind and the sound of something gently landing upon the cobbled stone of the street hit her ears. Weiss didn't realize that she was trembling until, seconds later, a warm hand slipped into her own and squeezed it tightly, steadying the shakes. She didn't need to turn around to see her; she could already imagine her; standing there, tall and proud as ever, a playful gleam in her silver eyes. Could it really be true?

A powerful lump formed in her throat as Weiss breathed a single word.

"Ruby…"

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhanger - sorta. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to tease you like that (yes I did). I know I jumped ahead to the reunion really quickly at the end, but we'll get a little more insight on that in the next chapter. I just wanted to get the ball rolling, since I'll probably call this story complete in the next two to three chapters. I know, we're coming to the end so quickly now...**

**Anyway, I have to say a HUGE thank you to all of you. I jumped from 81 reviews to 111. Just wow. I wasn't even expecting to hit three digits yet, and here we are now. I'm so thankful for all of your support. It really means the world to me. All I can ask is that you keep reviewing!  
**

**Have a safe and happy 4th of July!  
**


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